


Sugar

by saruhiko_bb



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Cafe AU, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Neighbor au, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2018-07-24 02:33:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 86,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7489839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saruhiko_bb/pseuds/saruhiko_bb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With his mother's birthday coming up, Yata decides to bake a cake, only to realize he forgot to buy a major ingredient: the sugar. With the store closed and nowhere else to turn, he decides to ask his neighbor, Mrs. Tanaka instead. Finding out that Mrs. Tanaka had apparently moved and was replaced with his newer and less nice neighbor, well that was just his luck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my entry for sarumi fest 2016! I actually meant to post something else, but I didn't have time to finish it, so here's this instead lol. I'll post the other thing on here soon too tho so look forward to it :D
> 
> Thanks to [Lucy](http://von-bats.tumblr.com/) as usual! <3

“Ugh, fuck me.” Groaned Yata, who was currently dragging himself up the stairs to his apartment. Grocery bags in hand, his legs and arms were beginning to strain as sweat beaded on his forehead. He'd done some last minute shopping at a grocery store nearby, just before closing time, and may have splurged a little.

The realization hit him after he'd purchased the items and was faced with the reality that he'd be skating home with all of it. He knew better, he really did, as this wasn't the first time he'd gotten himself into this predicament. As usual, though, Yata tended to get too immersed in things he was excited about, and would lose track of his initial goal. The goal this time being to buy some sugar, and the end result? Five bags of heavy groceries and a flight of stairs to lug it all up. Not to mention his skateboard had just become added weight after the ride home, and it was a total pain in the ass, being held in place under his arm and side. Why the fuck did I choose to live on the second floor, again? 

Finally reaching the last step, Yata releases a sigh of relief, slumping forward to lay the bags down for a moment to catch his breath when he reaches the floor to his hall. Luckily, his apartment wasn't too far from the staircase, meaning this would all be over soon. 

Dragging his feet, Yata begins to rush, noticing the bag holding the milk had begun to tear. “Fuck! Just a little more...” He grinds out, determined. 

Fumbling with the keys in his pocket while simultaneously juggling his bags, Yata somehow manages to unlock the door without dropping anything, safely making it inside at last. He slams the door shut with his foot and speed walks to the kitchen in order to finally drop everything in hand. Sure, he could've dropped everything the minute he'd gotten inside, but he'd made it this far, and was not about to give in. It was a personal thing, even as a child he'd try to carry as much as possible within one trip when helping his mother bring the bags in. It earned him a few lectures about how dangerous it could be to himself, or even the groceries, but it still didn’t stop him.

Barely making it to the kitchen in time, he lays the bags down right before the milk carton completely ripped through the thin plastic holding it in place, keeping it from spilling all over the floor. Thank God. 

“Phew,” Yata says, wiping the sweat on his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt, “all that's left is to put these away and get started!”

Yata was in the middle of preparing an array of cakes; his mother's birthday was coming up in a few days, and he wanted to try something new this year. Last year he'd gone with a simple one tier chocolate cake with the words ‘happy birthday’ written with pink icing. It was like something a child would make, if he were being honest, but she'd loved it of course, as well as his siblings. This year was different, however, as he’d been training under Mikoto-san whenever he had the chance the past year. His skills had definitely improved, and he wasn’t about to lose to last year’s self.

Rolling up his sleeves, Yata begins to sort out his assortment of ingredients, ranging from flour to vanilla extract to heavy cream. He'd be needing each and every one of them soon, as tonight was going to be a long night. Looking at the arrangement on the counter, it was amazing he'd gotten home without too much incident - he really did buy too much. Putting away what he didn't need at the moment, Yata thinks of what he should make. 

Since he'd gone with a chocolate cake last year, perhaps going for something fruity, like a strawberry shortcake, would be good. Tiramisu was also a good option, his mother being a coffee lover and all. Thinking of his younger siblings and their palettes had Yata choosing the shortcake in the end. It was probably something they’d enjoy more than the tiramisu, and figured that it was best to choose something the whole family would enjoy.

“I guess I'll start with the berries...” He mumbles, reaching under the counter for a strainer to rinse the fruit in. He'd have to start on them first, as it was best to let them chill in the fridge after cutting them, adding a bit of sugar to help let the natural juices seep out. 

After rinsing the strawberries, Yata begins to slice them into even sized pieces, tossing them into a bowl nearby, and maybe snagging a couple for himself. When he was finished with that, it was time to mix the sugar in and put them in the fridge, simply enough.

Reaching into the cupboard above the counter, Yata picks out the container he stored the sugar in, popping open the lid, “Ah that's right, I'm almost out.” He notes, pouring the rest into the bowl. It was enough for the strawberries, so he'd worry about refilling it later when he got to the cake. 

The shortcake he was going for was a typical Japanese shortcake, a nice light, layered cake stuffed with delicious strawberries and cream in between. Instead of a one tiered cake like last year, though, Yata was prepared to make a two tiered one, with whipped cream dollops lining the bottom and top of it, along with some other added decoration. Mikoto-san sold a similar cake at the cafe, which may have served as some form of inspiration, but making it into something of his own for his mother was what really got him excited about the idea.

“Next is the cake...” 

After starting the oven up to preheat, Yata rummages through the remaining items on the counter, looking for the eggs. This part was always a pain in the ass for him - the meringue. It seemed simple enough, and he’d seen his friend and boss Kusanagi do it plenty of times, but for some reason he could never get the eggs to stiffen properly. It was somewhat infuriating as Kusanagi wasn’t even into baking, really. He just had the “natural talent” for it, or so he was told.

Grabbing another clean bowl, Yata begins to separate the egg whites and yolks into two so he could do his first attempt at whipping them up. A little bit of the yolk fell in, but he figured it was no big deal. Whatever, it’s not like it's a lot. It wasn’t humid out, which was good, because apparently that played a part in making meringues, which he’d learned the hard way. He’d stood around for a few minutes waiting for his egg whites to stiffen up, only for them to turn into a soupy concoction. Mikoto-san had told him what happened afterwards, though he kind of wished he’d done so before he’d wasted his time. He knew by now though why Mikoto-san had let it happen: firsthand experience was an important lesson in life and in the kitchen, and he wouldn’t be taking any shortcuts.

With the memory of his failed meringues replaying in his head, he began whipping the eggs in the hopes of better results. Sadly, though, it looked like this attempt was going to be the same. The egg whites were looking good at first, a nice foam starting to take place, when suddenly that was as far as they got, until just like before, they didn’t get any further. “Damn,” He muttered, “not this shit again.” The next batch would probably work, right? He just needed to try again, simple as that.

Optimistic, Yata tries again, tossing out his failed meringue in favor of his next batch, only for that to turn out the same, along with the next. “What the fuck am I doing wrong?” He growled, annoyed. It wasn’t humid out, and he was even using older eggs for the stupid thing. He only had a couple more eggs to work with, so this was his last shot. Eyeing his materials, Yata tried to think of what he could be doing wrong. 

What was it that Mikoto-san said again? He’d remembered about the humidity and the age of the eggs, but he felt like there was something else. Separating the yolks? Nah, he did that already...

“Oh, fuck,” He says, running his hands through his hair, “I can’t get any yolk in the whites.” He knew that, but he’d figured a small amount wouldn’t matter, which it looked like it did. Not to mention he hadn’t been washing the whisk attachments on his beater either, which was probably what caused the other batches to fail as well. Why the hell was this so complicated?

Grabbing a new bowl and rinsing out his mixer, Yata grabs the last of his eggs, separating them properly this time, not a single drop of yolk making its way into the bowl. Satisfied, he begins to mix them again, fingers crossed. Luckily, this time the eggs stiffened, turning into the perfect consistency. “Yes! Last is the sugar and I’m done with this bullshit.”

Reaching for the earlier container, Yata opens the lid again, seeing that he’s all out, using the last of it for the strawberries. No big deal, he bought some earlier. Poking through his earlier purchases, Yata comes to find he can’t spot the sugar anywhere. “Don’t fucking tell me...” He whines, frantically searching through his kitchen. 

Did he seriously forget to buy sugar? Sugar was the reason he’d even gone to the store in the first place! He couldn’t leave to get some now, the store was closed. Not to mention he didn’t know if leaving the meringue out for too long would have an effect on it. He’d finally gotten it right with the last of his eggs, and he couldn’t fuck it up now.

“Oh! Mrs. Tanaka!” He exclaims, eyes widening. He could just ask his neighbor, she’d helped him out plenty of times before and wouldn’t mind lending him some sugar, for sure. 

Glancing one last time at his meringue, Yata leaves the kitchen to get his shoes on, silently praying it’ll look the same when he gets back. Exiting the door, Yata doesn’t bother locking up, as his destination was just outside. It was a bit late though, so he was a little worried Mrs. Tanaka might be asleep, but he figured he’d take his chances anyways, since it was his only option at this point.

Walking up to the door just on the right of his own, he gives a couple knocks. No one answers for a few moments, causing Yata to get a little restless. If she really was sleeping he’d be in a bit of a bind. Sure, he could skate a farther distance to a store that was actually open, but if his meringue deflated in that time, he’d seriously be pissed. Thinking of what was at stake, Yata raps on the door one more time, when suddenly it’s pulled open mid-knock. 

“Ah! Mrs. Tanaka--” He starts, only to shut his mouth. He was expecting the short, plump older lady that usually answered the door, so it was obvious as to why Yata was shocked to find a slender young man, probably about his age, with dark features and rimmed glasses in front of him instead. He was also a bit taller than Yata, which was a bit annoying, and had an obviously unhappy look on his face. He’s actually... kinda attractive.

“What do you want?” The man asks, clicking his tongue.

“O-oh,” he sputters, taken aback by the sudden turn of events, “um, is Mrs. Tanaka not here?” 

“Mrs. Tanaka?” He questions, brows furrowed.

“Y-yeah! Is she sick or something? I’ve never seen anyone else answer the door before.”

At that, the man seems to begin to understand what he’s being asked of, the confused look on his face slowly residing. “Oh, that old lady, you mean. She moved out a while ago.”

“Huh? No way! I needed to ask her a favor.” Yata groans. 

Raising his eyebrows, the man points to the panel on the wall at the side of his door, reading the name ‘Fushimi’, “Did you not notice this before, or are you too short to see it?” He remarks, earning him a scowl from Yata. He hadn’t really paid attention to it before. How was he supposed to know that she’d apparently moved out?

“Fuck off, I’m not that short!” 

“Hm, right, well this has nothing to do with me, so I’ll be going now.” Without even waiting for a response from Yata, ‘Fushimi’ motions to close the door, already beginning to retreat into his home. Unluckily for him though, Yata was too fast, and grabs onto the side of the door just in time to prevent him from closing it. “Ah, Fushimi, w-wait!”

Slowly, Fushimi looks at the hand that had prevented his escape and then to Yata’s face, his scowl even more prominent. He was clearly not in the mood for whatever he’s about to deal with. “What now?”

“Ah, well, I was thinking since Mrs. Tanaka isn’t here I could ask you instead...” 

“No way.”

Is this guy serious? “L-look, it’s nothing big, I swear! I just needed to borrow some sugar is all.” 

He doesn’t get an answer right away, making Yata half expect him to just shut the door in his face again, but is surprised when he gets a response, albeit a rude one, “Why should I help you? It’s not my problem. Besides, do you even realize how late it is?” 

Hearing his response, Yata’s hand grips tighter at the door. This guy was seriously annoying, even if he was right, it didn’t mean he had to be an ass about it. If Mrs. Tanaka were here, she’d help him out no problem! But instead, he was being forced to face with some snarky asshole who wouldn’t give him the time of day, or night, rather. Either way, he was not about to skate halfway across town just to pick up some damn sugar, and that was final.

“Seriously? It’s just some sugar, what’s the big deal!”

“Funny you should say that, when you’re the one freaking out over it.” 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Yata sighs in an attempt to calm himself down. He was never one to bottle up his temper too well, but this guy was his best chance at getting some sugar, and getting into it with him would not help his cause. “I’ll pay you back for it if that’s the problem, just give me some sugar this one time, alright? I forgot to buy some at the store earlier and they’re closed now.”

Fushimi eyes Yata, his blue eyes seemingly suspicious of the redhead’s intentions, before finally, he takes a step back, closing the door slightly, leaving it open just enough for Yata to see his face, “Wait out here.” He says, turning around abruptly to head further inside.

Within minutes, Fushimi is back, a familiar looking package in hand. “Here.” 

“Thank you so much!” Yata beams. He’d given him a whole bag, which was surprising. He expected maybe just a ziplock he’d filled himself or something. “I’ll bring you something tomorrow to make up for it!”

“Mm, just don’t expect something like this to happen again.” He says, already beginning to close the door.

Well, whatever. He’d gotten his sugar, and that was all that mattered. Turning to head back to his own apartment, Yata has a huge smile on his face. He had everything he needed, meaning he had all night to perfect this recipe, and when it came to surprising his mother on her special day, everything would be perfect.

\--

Four batches of meringues, one annoying confrontation for sugar, and one all nighter later had Yata officially finishing his quest of a strawberry shortcake. It was a piece of cake after the sugar thing was situated, but he was glad he’d practiced before the actual day, considering all things at hand. He was able to finish before it got too late into the night, as it was only around four in the morning. It was a pleasant surprise, as he usually ended up staying up until the sun was out on nights like these. He really kicked that recipe’s ass though, at least after the meringue part.

All that was left was to do it again when the time came and to find someone to eat this practice cake with him in the meantime. Normally his friends at the cafe would be up to the task, but after all the cake he’d been whipping up the past couple days, it seemed like they were spent. If the last few times where Yata brought in a new concoction lead to groans of ‘please no’ and ‘not another one’ were any indication anyways. Not to mention the fact that they worked at a cafe and their cake intake was probably higher than it should’ve been to begin with. The cake was too much for him to eat all by himself, but he couldn’t let his family find out for obvious reasons, and with his friends out of the question... 

The event from hours previous pops into his mind, his apparently new neighbor, Fushimi, and the fact that he owed him for the sugar. He wasn’t sure if Fushimi had expected him to repay him with another bag of sugar or something else when he said he’d pay him back, but Yata figured some cake would be a good trade off. Or at least he hoped, the guy was kind of an ass. The memory of his scowl and the annoying way he clicked his tongue surfacing to Yata’s mind, made him somewhat uncertain in his choice. 

Either way, it was too late now, and he doubted Fushimi would be up at this hour, not that he wanted to deal with him again at the moment anyways. Cleaning up the kitchen and storing his masterpiece of a cake into the fridge, Yata makes a point to shower and head to bed. I’ll figure this shit out tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, first chapter done! Hopefully you all enjoyed and any advice, comments, etc. is appreciated as I really wanna improve my writing! ^o^ 
> 
> Feel free to check me out on [Tumblr](http://saruhiko-bb.tumblr.com/) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/saruhiko_bb)! If you post K I'll follow you btw I'm in need of sarumi :(


	2. Chapter 2

Morning came sooner than expected. By the time Yata woke up, he was running late for his morning shift at the cafe. He had forgotten to set his alarm the night before, only managing to collapse into bed after his shower. “Shit!” He yelps, throwing his blankets off in a rush to head to the bathroom. He was grateful for the shower last night, since he definitely had no time for one at the moment. Quickly brushing his teeth, Yata runs out the bathroom to get on some clean clothes and his usual beanie to cover his messy bed hair.

Checking the time once more, he notes he has about another twenty minutes before he’s late, and makes his way to the front of his apartment. Being sure to grab his keys, phone, and skateboard, Yata hastily throws his shoes on. I'm definitely going to hear it from Kusanagi-san if I'm late again...

Running outside and remembering to lock his door at the last second, Yata sees the door next to his and the plate reading ‘Fushimi’. He really hadn’t noticed it at all until the night prior, but seeing it now reminded him of the favor he owed his neighbor. He didn’t really have the time right now though, so he figured the guy could wait until after his shift. That thought was thrown out the window, however, when said neighbor stepped out, grumpy face and all, sporting a black hoodie and jeans, along with a backpack that was slung over his shoulder. Maybe he’s a student?

He hadn’t noticed Yata at first, having been preoccupied with locking his own door, but when he had, his eyes narrowed, and the seemingly usual frown Yata had only seen him wear deepened. “What?” The Yata says, somewhat annoyed by the reaction. 

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi looks away slightly, “Because of you I didn’t have any sugar for my coffee this morning, which was very annoying, by the way.”

Yata stares, dumbfounded for a second by what he just heard, when the realization hits him. “Hah? You’re the one who gave me the whole bag! No one made you do that!”

“You wouldn’t leave any faster if I hadn’t.” 

“What the fuck was that?” Yata grinded out. He seriously didn’t get along with this guy, their combined total of ten minutes together from the night before and now had shown him that very clearly.

“Knocking at someone’s door at eleven at night for some sugar, who does that?” 

“I told you the store was closed! I had no choice.”

“Right, but I still haven’t had my coffee, and it’s your fault.”

He was about to retaliate, when he suddenly heard the chime of his phone go off. Glancing at the message preview on the lock screen, he saw it was Kusanagi asking where he was. It was something his friend always did out of habit to make sure he was up, dealing with Yata for long enough to know he was probably running late, which sadly, was currently the case. 

“Shit...” He mumbled. He was so invested in fighting with this asshole, he completely forgot he was behind on time. 

Looking back up to his neighbor, he caught sight of his bored expression, and the very obvious bags under his eyes. He actually did feel somewhat bad, he looked pretty tired. “Look, if it’s coffee you need, I’ll get you some, okay?” 

“Hm, what’s this?” Fushimi asks, smirking, “Asking me on a date already?”

“W-what the hell are you talking about!” Yata sputters, face going red. The remark was a bit irritating, but Yata couldn’t help himself from noticing the change in character. Looks like he doesn’t just frown, after all. “I owe you right? I happen to work as a barista at a cafe nearby, so I can get you a coffee, my treat, okay?”

Fushimi doesn’t answer right away, causing Yata to tap his feet out of impatience. He really didn’t have time for this guy’s indecisiveness, he was running late for Pete’s sake! Just as he’s about to run off and tell him to come by later if he wanted, he hears Fushimi mutter ‘fine’ under his breath. Fucking finally.

“Alright, great! Let’s go now, because I’m running late.” Yata says, already running to the stairs. Behind him, he hears Fushimi complain, but he follows anyways.

\--

The trip to work was long lived, to say the least. Usually Yata would speed down the streets on his skateboard, making it to work in less than ten minutes, but he found that idea was impossible with Fushimi in tow. For someone with such long, lanky legs, he walked annoyingly slow. Yata kept finding himself speeding a bit too far down the street on his skateboard, accidently leaving Fushimi behind, only to have to go back for him to make sure he was actually following. He could’ve sworn he was doing it on purpose though, because there was no way in hell someone walked that slow naturally.

Not to mention that whenever he would remind Fushimi he was running late, and that they needed to get a move on, he would just reply with some condescending response. Things like ‘It’s not my fault you’re late’ or ‘You’re the idiot who didn’t wake up on time’, only to smirk and fire back with something else whenever he got a rise out of Yata. 

By the time they got there, Yata was exhausted in more ways than one. Dealing with Fushimi was definitely tough work. He really knew how to get under his skin, and Yata’s retaliations only seemed to spur him on rather than make him shut up, for some reason. Even if the guy was annoying, he couldn’t deny it was a bit entertaining bickering with him. Maybe. By some miracle though, the two managed to make it to the shop just in time for Yata’s shift, much to his and surely Kusanagi’s relief. 

“Welcome to Cafe Homra!” Yata grins, showing off the front of the store before they walked inside.

It wasn’t anything too big, but it was moderately sized. A wide window took up most of the storefront, showing a few of the booths and customers that sat inside. There were some tables set up with chairs and umbrellas outside as well, a few customers chatting happily at them with their drinks and treats. Nearby was a foldable sign that read the day’s special drinks and items written in chalk as well, adding to the atmosphere.

Taking a step inside, a bell chimes on top of the door, alerting the patrons and workers of their presence. 

Noticing Yata, Kusanagi, a blonde, slim man cleaning a glass greets them. He shook his head slightly, obviously not entertained with the close call. He didn’t say anything else though, which lead Fushimi to believe this was not an uncommon occurrence.

“I have to clock in and get ready, but go wait in line and I’ll serve you, okay?” 

Fushimi doesn’t say anything, but nods instead, watching as the skater retreats behind the counter. There were a couple other people in line, so it’d probably take a couple minutes before he was actually served anyways.

With his neighbor gone, and nothing else to distract him, Fushimi takes a look around the place. It was more dimly lighted than he would expect of a supposed cafe, and had a more nightlife atmosphere to it, somehow. The tables were simple enough, adorning a dark-reddish-brown color, which fit well with the red walls surrounding the area. Up front he could see a counter with a similar color to the tables, and next to it was a display case with an array of desserts. Even if it was a cafe, the place was a lot different from a typical one. Going for a more bold and intense mood, rather than the usual relaxed and french style most other places tended to aim for.

Inside the display case were the usual items, like danishes and donuts, but there were also some cakes of different kinds. The cakes were definitely the most unusual out of the selection of desserts, each one being at least two tiers high, sporting different designs and wild embellishments made of fondant and dyes. It was odd, but not out of place with the impression the place gave off. 

By the time he finished looking around, Fushimi was first in line. He hadn’t even looked at the menu, but there was no need, considering he already knew what he wanted despite never having been there before. Taking his place at the counter, Yata pops up just in time, a black apron adorning his earlier outfit. He had a couple pins along with his name tag, one of them being a pineapple and the other of a flame. What a child. 

“Alright, Fushimi! What’s your order?” He says, grin wide.

“I’ll take a medium iced coffee, with a lot of cream and not too much coffee. Also extra ice and classic syrup...” Eyes catching on the metal plate on Yata’s apron, Fushimi belatedly adds to his order, “ Misaki.”

“W-what the fuck did you just call me?” Yata replies, eyes going wide.

“Misaki?” 

“How the fuck do you know my name!”

“Are you an idiot? It says so on your name tag.” 

“My name tag...?” Yata questions, looking down to his apron, only to find that, yes, the name ‘Misaki’ was written on the small metal plate sitting on his chest. He never used his first name when working with customers, or with people in general really, which only meant one thing, “Fucking Chitose!” He growled, “He switched my name tag again, that bastard!”

Ripping the offending name tag off his apron and stuffing it into his pocket, Yata takes a look around the cafe, spotting his coworker, who was currently flirting with a lone girl sitting at a booth. Typical. He must’ve known what was going on though, because only a few seconds after Yata looked at him, he looked back with an annoyingly proud smirk on his face. It was really hard not to flip him off then, but he knew Kusanagi would say something if he did. “I’m going to kick his ass later, for sure.”

“You really don’t pay attention do you, Misaki?” Fushimi says, amused.

“Don’t call me that!”

“What? Is there a problem, Misaki?”

“Fuck off!”

“Yata-chan,” Kusanagi interrupts, “calm down and make his drink will ya? We have customers waiting.”

Moving his eyes from Kusanagi, to Fushimi, and finally to the line behind him, Yata’s face grows red. He hadn’t realized the scene he had created, but once it was pointed out, he quickly shut up. There was a group of girls standing nearby too, who were conveniently giggling at the idiot he’d made of himself, which only added to his embarrassment. 

“Right, sorry.” Yata apologizes, rubbing the back of his neck, in turn getting a snicker from Fushimi. “What was your order again?”

Sighing, Fushimi repeats his order, only to get a weird look from Yata, “What are you looking at me like an idiot for?”

“...Are you serious?”

“Use your words, Misaki.”

“You were complaining to me earlier because you didn’t have any coffee, but there’s barely any coffee in there!” Yata practically shouts, causing Kusanagi to clear his throat in an attempt to subtly calm him down again. 

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi retorts, “I don’t see how any of that’s your business. Besides, you’re the one who said you’d make my drink.”

“You’re practically just drinking milk and sugar!”

“Maybe if you tried it, you’d grow a little taller.” Fushimi says, smirking. 

“Listen, asshole--” Yata starts, but then shuts up, the feeling of a very strong hand on his shoulder snapping him out of his rage. Shit...

“Yata-chan,” Kusanagi says, wearing a smile that had alarm bells going off in Yata’s head “ the drink, remember?” 

“R-right!” Yata replies, voice coming out at a slightly higher pitch. Kusanagi could be scary when he was angry, and Yata was not about to deal with that. “You can stand over there while I get this ready for you.” He says, pointing to the counter on his side, to which Fushimi obediently followed.

As he’s putting Fushimi’s drink together, Yata scowls at the ingredients before him. He’d made some pretty ridiculous drinks in his days of being a barista, but seriously this was just too much. The guy had complained about his lack of caffeine, even going so far as to blame him for it, only to order something with barely any coffee in it? It was unbelievable, really. When he was finished, Yata poured the mixture into a plastic cup, handing it to Fushimi. “Here’s your not-coffee.” He says, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

Ignoring his comment, Fushimi takes the drink into his hand, and just looks at it rather than taking a sip, seemingly apprehensive on whether or not to actually drink it. “Quit acting like it’s going to kill you and drink it will you?”

“For all I know, it might.” Fushimi says, brow raised, “You made it after all.”

Yata feels his eye twitch at that, but despite what Fushimi says, he drinks it anyways. The first sip is a tentative one, as if he really thought it might affect his health, but he doesn’t make a weird face or anything, which was good, at least. 

“Not bad, I guess.”

“Heh, quit acting like you don’t like it.”

“Whatever you say.” Fushimi replies, clicking his tongue, “Anyways, I have to go now. Try not to get fired will you, Misaki?” He says, turning to leave, his hand waving weakly as one last dismissive goodbye.

“Don’t call me that, dammit!” Yata calls, then, as an afterthought adds,“Hey, Fushimi!” 

Pausing to turn back to Yata, Fushimi furrows his brows, slightly put off, “What?”

“Your first name. What is it?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“You know my name, so it’s only fair!”

Fushimi sighs, and looks away for a moment, before finally looking back up and mutters his response, “Saruhiko.”

“Heh, Saruhiko, huh?”

“Right.” He says, frowning, “I’m going for real this time, Misaki.” 

“See you later, Saruhiko!”

At Yata’s comment, Fushimi seemed to tense a little as he turned to walk away, almost as if he was caught off guard by what he’d said, but he recovered quickly enough. Yata wasn’t sure if it was because he’d used his first name, or by the implications that they’d meet again, but it didn’t matter. Fushimi had been using his first name all morning, and they were neighbors, so they were bound to see each other around, right? While he’s thinking, Yata doesn’t realize until after Fushimi had exited the shop, that he’d been staring at his neighbor's back as he walked away. What in the actual fuck.

Shaking his head to snap out of it, Yata gets back to work. He already had a few strikes against him today, and Kusanagi would be sure to say something later if he didn’t shape up. Not to mention he couldn’t taint the name of Cafe Homra! If Mikoto-san found out how he’d been acting today, he would die of shame. With that in mind, Yata returns to the counter to help a customer, a cute, girl customer, that is. He’s so pumped to make Mikoto-san proud though, that he manages to act normal, or well, normal for him. Whatever, in just a few more hours, he could go home.

\--

After Fushimi left, the rest of his day went by like usual. He’d done well serving all the female customers after steeling himself with the thought of Mikoto-san, but the effect slowly began to fade, as he went back to a sputtering mess halfway through his shift. 

When he first got hired here, he thought working around girls would help him to get used to them. The entire cafe staff itself was made up of men, so that wasn’t a problem. Other than the women who came in as customers, the only other female around was Anna, a young girl who was quite smitten with Mikoto.

She wasn’t so much as someone he had to worry about though, as she came around enough that she was there just as much as he was, possibly even more, to the point that he was pretty much accustomed to her presence. It also helped that she was around the same age as his younger sister, making it seem like she was his own adopted sister of sorts. 

He came to find out he was wrong when it came to getting used to other females, however, when he actually started working the counter. If anything, working this job showed him how much more scarier women were than he originally thought, what with their pretty hair, and makeup, and - and those... things they let hang out of their shirts. Even just the thought had Yata’s face turning pink. 

Whenever he’d serve them, eyes averted and face red, they’d always giggle at how ‘cute’ he was, leaning forward on the counter to give him light touches, or small smiles. But Yata was not cute, he was a man after all! A man who, couldn’t deal with women for the life of him, that was.

Then there was Yata’s coworker, Chitose, who was the complete and total opposite of him, always flirting with every girl that came in whenever he had the chance. It was truly unfathomable. The same Chitose, who had switched his name tag earlier that day, effectively embarrassing him in front of Fushimi.

He’d meant to give Chitose a piece of his mind when the time came, but when his shift was finally over, his coworker was nowhere to be seen, which was unusual, considering how often they all hung out after work. Heh, you better run, asshole.

The ride home was normal too, rolling down the street on his skateboard, the wind blowing through his hair, and music blasting in his ears. It was definitely nowhere near as slow and stressful as when he’d gone to work this morning with Fushimi, but speaking of Fushimi...

Yata was currently waiting in front of his neighbor’s door, package in hand, which was not so normal. He’d been contemplating on whether he should actually knock or not for the past couple minutes. He didn’t know why he cared so much. He told Fushimi earlier that he’d seen him later, so it was fine right? Well, except that fact that he’d never specified when, or why, or that it would just be a couple hours later. 

It was just that, as soon as he’d gone rummaging through the fridge to find something to eat for dinner, he’d found the cake he made the night before, just waiting to be eaten in all its glory. The idea to bring some over had been nagging at him the entire time he made and even while he ate his meal, until he finally decided to hell with it. The plan was to just give him some cake and leave, as payment for the sugar, the only thing being he didn’t expect he’d be making him coffee hours previous as payment instead. He still had too much cake regardless and no one to share it with though, so why not? He was thinking it over too much.

Without giving it another thought, Yata finally rapped on the door in front of him, bracing himself for the sass he was sure to face. Fushimi was taking a while to answer though, but that happened the last time too, so he didn’t mind as much as he would’ve had he not known. Knocking again, Fushimi pulled the door open, scowl already in place, until he saw Yata, eyes widening a bit in surprise instead, before making its way to a questioning expression, “...Misaki?”

Holding out the package in front of him, Yata grins, “Yo, Saruhiko. Are you free?” To which Fushimi just raises one eyebrow. Well, here goes nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray for more sarumi interaction! I really love writing these two, they're such dorks lol. Also, I actually based Saru's drink off something my cousin orders at Starbucks. It always drives me nuts and I like the idea of Saru always having picky drinks and pissing Yata off with it haha. 
> 
> Anyways, special thanks to [Lucy](http://archiveofourown.org/users/von_bats) and [Shaele](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaele) for looking over this chapter for me, I really appreciate it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit longer than the others, so sorry about that! I hope you all enjoy some sarumi hangouts ;o

Taking the order of yet another customer, the huge, fake smile that was adorning Yata’s face falters as soon as he turns away to make the drink, the restlessness he’d been trying to ignore all day manifesting on his usually bright features.

His day had started off great. He had woken up earlier than usual, feeling refreshed and looking forward to the day ahead. The feeling not fading one bit even as had got ready for work and made himself a quick breakfast before heading out, humming all the while he did. Hell, he’d even managed to get to work thirty minutes early and help set up the store, much to his and Kusanagi’s surprise. It seemed like today was going to be a great day, that was until his mood had started to dwindle as the hours went on. Every glance he’d thrown at the clock only managing to rain on his parade more and more each time. Damn...

It was almost the end of his shift, with only about fifteen minutes left until he was free to leave. He was never one to want to leave work on normal occasions, what with Cafe Homra being like a second home to him and all, but today that feeling was doubled over somehow. Well, not somehow, he knew why he didn’t want to leave, not until someone showed up at least.

Honestly, it was probably a lost cause, as seeing the minutes tick away on the clock had made him realize. Despite his current war against time though, there was still a part of him that was hoping that just maybe said person was running late, or had gotten lost on the way, despite the fact that he knew it wouldn’t have been his first time there. It was a lame excuse, but the thought helped ease his mind a little, if only for a moment. With his remaining shift time dwindling from fifteen minutes to ten though, he felt the disappointment that’d been working its way through the back of his mind little by little the whole day come crashing forward. He’s really not coming, is he? The thought was a painful one, but it seemed to be the truth.

His thoughts that yesterday was bringing him into a new friendship appeared to have been a naive one. It didn’t seem naive though, not with the way they had hung out yesterday. Or maybe it was all one sided? It wouldn’t be the first time something like that had happened, a friendship that wasn’t really a friendship, friends that weren’t really friends... But yesterday was different compared to those times, surely. Yesterday was...

\--

“... Misaki?”

Yata watches as the initial annoyed look on Fushimi’s face as he opens the door settles into one of confusion, watches as those blue eyes move from his face to the bag he’s holding in front of him, eyebrows furrowing. It’s almost funny how taken aback his neighbor looked. Was it really that odd for him to be there?

“What’s with the dumb look?” Yata teases, earning a scowl from Fushimi. “And don't call me that, dammit!”

“That’s interesting, coming from you,” He shoots back. Ignoring the sputtering coming from Yata, Fushimi eyes the bag in his hand again, and with curiosity getting the better of him, decides to ask, “What’s that?”

“Oh? Wouldn’t you like to know. Maybe if you quit calling me by my first name, I'll tell you.”

“Hm, guess I'll never know then.” Fushimi says, already motioning to close the door for the second time in Yata’s knowing him. Seriously?

“Oi, Fushimi—“

With the door coming to a close, and Fushimi retreating inside, Yata can’t help but blurt out the answer, cracking under the pressure to keep him from leaving, “W-wait, dammit!” Yata yells, grabbing onto the side of the door. This... seemed to be becoming a pattern between the two of them. “It’s cake, alright!”

As soon as the words are out, Fushimi stops in his tracks, and slowly turns around. As he does so, Yata is met with an annoyingly smug smirk, Fushimi obviously being proud that he was able to get the information out of Yata so easily. Ugh, fuck. What a pain in the ass.

“What was that about not telling me?”

“Shut up, I had no choice!” Yata says, face slightly flushing.

Well, he did have a choice, but whatever. He could make Fushimi stop using his name in a number of other ways, surely. It was no big deal. It wasn’t like he wanted to hang out with Fushimi or anything, the guy was an asshole after all. It was just, he really needed to get rid of the cake, was all. Yeah.

“Right, and why are you handing cake to me?”

“Seriously? It’s to eat obviously! Anyways, you’re free right?” Yata says, leaning on his tiptoes in an attempt to peek through the small gap behind Fushimi’s shoulder to peer into his apartment, “Let’s eat some!”

“I never said I was free, idiot.” Fushimi says, clicking his tongue, maneuvering to block the shorter man’s view, though he didn't seem to notice. So nosy.

“Hah? Who are you calling an idiot!”

“Who else would I be talking to?”

“Whatever, what are you so busy doing that you can’t eat some of my delicious cake?”

“...Your cake?”

“That’s right, I made it.” Yata says, placing his hands on his hips, obviously proud of the announcement, “Mikoto-san taught me!”

Fushimi had no clue who this ‘Mikoto-san’ was, but found he had no desire in knowing. All he hoped was that he was a decent teacher, because it was obvious where this was headed. “So you came here to poison me for the second time today, Misaki?”

“P-poison...” Yata frowns, “You’re still alive from this morning asshole, so what does that say?!”

“That I’m lucky, apparently.”

“You’re seriously a jerk, you know that?”

“And yet you’re still here.”

The statement catches Yata slightly off guard; It was almost like Fushimi was trying to gage exactly what Yata was trying to get out of this whole exchange. It made sense that he’d be a little confused at the situation though, considering they weren’t exactly friends or anything, but here Yata was, making himself welcome. It was not only that, but the fact that Fushimi was being a complete ass to him, yet he found himself not wanting to leave.

He didn’t quite understand it himself, but whatever, no point in dwelling on it. He came to make this jerk eat some cake, and damn well he was going to make it happen. If anything, it almost seemed like a challenge. If Fushimi wanted him gone, he'd have to try a lot harder than that.

“You still haven’t answered my question yet, that’s why.”

Sighing, Fushimi reluctantly replies, “Even if I were free, why would I have to--” Fushimi starts, but is abruptly cut off by the loud growl of his stomach. He may or may not have skipped lunch earlier, and apparently his stomach thought now was the best time to remind him of that. Perfect.

“Heh, so you’re hungry!”

“Not really.” He says, averting his gaze from the huge knowing grin that was sure to be on Yata’s face.

“Don’t lie Saruhiko! Your stomach just made it loud and clear.”

“You’re so noisy.”

“Tell that to your stomach.” Yata says, triumphantly, at which Fushimi only glares at him. “Anyways, it’s fine right? You can finish whatever you’re doing afterwards.”

For a moment, Fushimi just stares at Yata with a slightly annoyed expression. It was only for a moment, but the silence made Yata feel a little worried, the thought that maybe he’d really overdone it. The feeling was diminished though, when Fushimi clicks his tongue before slowly backing up, allowing the door to open for Yata to come in. Awesome!

“If I knew you’d be hungry I would’ve brought more than cake over.”

“It’s fine,” Fushimi mutters, “I don’t need to eat much.”

“Figures, for such a skinny guy,” Yata says, snickering.

“Oh? And someone so short needs to eat a lot, then?”

“Shut up,” Yata says, though there was no real bite. He was kind of getting used to Fushimi’s teasing, “Next time I’ll bring you something!”

“Something tells me I shouldn’t eat too much of what you make, but whatever you say, Misaki.”

Deciding to ignore that last comment, Yata quickly removes his shoes in the foyer as he stumbles to catch up to Fushimi who was now walking down the hall. As expected, his apartment had the same layout as his own, so it was easy to guess that Fushimi was headed to where the living room area was.

Though the layout was the same, the room itself was completely different from Yata’s. Fushimi’s living room had a very... minimalistic feel, if you could describe it that way. The furniture decorating the room consisting only of a black couch, glass coffee table, and a black TV stand along with a few other items of furniture. The television itself was of a pretty decent size, making Yata’s look puny in comparison. Somewhat awestruck, Yata vaguely wondered what it’d looked like to play games on something so nice.

Fushimi’s place was a complete contrast to Yata’s, the simple layout of it all differing from the more personal feel of Yata’s own home. Where posters and pictures of his family and friends hung on the walls of Yata’s place, Fushimi’s were bare. Where Yata had games and clothing littering the floors, Fushimi had nothing, though in that aspect, Yata figured it was probably better that way. Sometimes with how busy Yata got, he didn’t have time to clean, the items accidentally accumulating at times, making it seem almost as if a tornado had hit. As for Fushimi, if it weren’t for the laptop and papers scattered around, Yata would’ve thought the room was just there for show. Looks like he was doing homework or something.

“You can sit there,” Fushimi says, pointing to the only spot on the couch not covered with books and papers.

“Ah, do you need help cleaning up?”

“It’s fine, you’ll just mix everything up, anyways.”

“Fine then, jerk.” Yata grumbles, resigning himself to sitting down as he’s told. Don’t have to be such an ass about it.

Yata waits until Fushimi clears a spot open on the table before setting his bag down, watching silently as the papers are quickly picked up and shuffled into place. There really was a lot of paperwork, obviously centered around the spot Yata was currently sitting in. Maybe Fushimi really was busy after all? Well, too late now, I’m already here.

Since he wasn’t allowed to help, Yata decided to distract himself instead by setting everything up. Pulling out the contents of the bag, Yata sets out the cake first, placing its box aside. Luckily, he’d brought enough for the two of them, despite originally only planning to drop this off for Fushimi himself. When exactly did he decide to barge into Fushimi’s place again? He couldn’t recall. With that planning flaw in mind though, Yata comes to the realization that he didn’t bring any plates or forks. It was obvious what the next step was, but the grief he’d get for it was a bit unappealing. Whatever, guess I’d better ask then.

Bracing himself for the trouble he knows he’s about to get, Yata pipes up, “Hey, Saruhiko, you got any plates and stuff we can use?”

Before the words even fully leave his lips, Yata hears Fushimi sigh in response to his question. Looking up from where he’s stacking up the last of the papers in front of him, Fushimi quirks an eyebrow, “You decide to eat cake with me, but you don’t bring what you need for it?”

Again with the sass. Seriously? “Shut up! Do you have any or what?”

“I do, just wait here.”

As Fushimi turns his back to head to where the kitchen is, Yata is once again left with nothing to do. Trying to entertain himself for the time being, Yata peers around the room for a second time, concluding that, yes, it really was quite barren, the room devoid of anything that could be considered personal. There were no photos or anything in the area, just the laptop and materials Fushimi had put away moments before. The only thing that offered any clue to what kind of person Fushimi was, was the TV stand in front of him and what lay inside. It didn’t take Yata very long to spot what was sat neatly on the shelf, as it was something he was very familiar with, a small prick of jealousy rising within him at the sight.

Inside the stand was the newer version of the game console he owned himself, the black plastic shining in the dim lighting, along with a few games beside it as well. They weren’t just any games though, in fact, they were the same games that weren’t released on his own console, the manufacturers deeming it only for the newer generations. The fact still upset him to this day, considering he couldn’t afford a new one at the moment or any time soon, probably. The only time he’d gotten a chance to play any of them was when he was with his friends, playing it on their consoles.

Without thinking, Yata gets up from his seat -- excitement getting the better of him -- and kneels in front of the console, eyes wide in awe at the array of games situated on Fushimi’s shelf. He had just about every game Yata himself wanted, and a ton of others he hadn’t even seen or heard of before. Fushimi had just about every type of game it seemed, ranging from fighting games, to role playing games, the sight leaving him speechless. Has he played all of these?

Taking one game into his hand, Yata reads the description, quickly scanning over the synopsis on the back of the case. It was one of the games he hadn't seen before, but it still looked cool as hell. The photo in the casing depicted what looked to be different groups of people fighting with some sort of powers, different colors reflecting off each other: red, blue, green, and even white. It wasn't exactly magic, but looked to be something similar. In front of the groups were what seemed to be the two main protagonists, one with a red aura and smoldering eyes, and the other with a blue aura and a smirk that seemed oddly familiar, as well as annoying somehow...

Yata’s snapped out of his inspection though, when Fushimi enters the room again, a taunt leaving his lips seemingly naturally, “Do you always go through people’s things, Misaki?”

“Quit calling me that!” Yata says, annoyed, looking to where Fushimi was placing their dishes along with some soda on the table. Putting the game back, he decides to get up and join him himself, “I was bored waiting for you and saw them, is all. I wasn’t snooping.”

“I wasn’t even gone five minutes...”

Sitting down next to Fushimi on the couch, Yata ignores the comment, “So, those games, have you beaten all of them?”

“More or less.” Fushimi shrugs, “Well, except the one you were holding.”

“What, really? That’s so cool!”

“Is it?”

“Well, yeah! Some of those games are really hard!” Yata says, excitedly. He couldn’t really help himself, talking about games always got him going, and the fact that Fushimi had beaten such difficult games was really impressive. Not even Kamamoto had beaten a few of those, and he was an avid game player. “Or so I’ve heard anyways, I haven’t gotten to play a lot of the ones you have.”

“Is that so.”

“Yeah, and you beat all of them! You really are something else, Saruhiko!” Yata says, face splitting into a huge grin.

“You’re getting too excited over nothing, idiot.”

“Idiot? Who the hell--”

“-- But I can show you later,” Fushimi mumbles, “If you want, that is.”

At that, Yata’s left speechless, his mouth left open with the comeback he had ready, dying on his lips. Quickly, his shock turns to excitement, as the meaning to what Fushimi said fully hits him. “Really, Saruhiko!?” He says, leaning towards Fushimi, practically yelling into his ear.

Leaning back to regain some semblance of personal space, Fushimi replies with the click of his tongue, “Tch, not if you keep yelling like that.”

“Right, got it!” Yata says, grin wide.

This is gonna be awesome!

\--

Misaki did not get it.

After Misaki dished out their cake slices, Fushimi was subjected to listening to random topics of Misaki’s choosing the entire time, all the while the other chatted loudly. What exactly was Misaki’s definition of not yelling?

Most of the conversations consisted of his work or family, but a couple questions about himself were thrown in the mix as well, which Fushimi deliberately ignored depending on the content. Misaki seemed to be happy with whatever he supplied though, usually spouting off into something else immediately after.

It was somewhat annoying, how quickly he managed to move on from one thing to another, but it wasn't unpleasant hearing about all the things that went through Misaki’s mind. Not that it was hard to guess though, as he was a pretty easy person to read, something Fushimi had figured out within the first few minutes of their hanging out together.

Fushimi found that, surprisingly, he'd managed to eat most of his cake slice though, which not so surprisingly, lead to Misaki’s boasting of how he'd actually liked his cooking. He wouldn't go so far as to say he'd liked it, but… he didn't exactly dislike it either. He just happened to be more hungry than usual, that was all. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Ready to play?” Fushimi asks, more to distract Misaki more than anything, which he succeeds in doing, the teasing words stopping immediately and moving onto more excitedly happy ones. Simple.

“Alright, this is gonna be great! Which one are we playing?”

“The one you were holding earlier, I guess.”

Like a child given finally granted permission to play with his toys, Misaki springs from his seat, pacing over to the game console to put the disc in. Normally he'd get annoyed, having someone else touch his things so casually, but Misaki seemed capable enough of handling games at least. Not to mention, he didn't really feel like getting up at the moment, and Misaki was already there, so whatever.

“Saruhiko, where are the remotes?”

“There should be one around there,” Fushimi says, pointing to nowhere specific. It was a vague answer, but luckily Misaki manages to find it anyways. It was his spare remote, one he'd never actually had the need to use, as this was his first time playing any of his games with someone else, someone not online, anyways.

“What about you?” Misaki says, looking over his shoulder, “I don’t see another one.”

“I have mine here.” Fushimi replies, waving his own remote in the air. He had gotten it himself while Misaki was shuffling around, as he always kept his own remote on the side table for easy access.

Noticing this, Misaki gets up again, and takes his spot next to Fushimi, the seat sagging under his weight.

“Alright, let's do this, Saruhiko!” Yata chimes, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees.

“Get ready to lose, Misaki.”

Let’s see how long you can keep that determined looks of yours.

\--

It turned out the game they were playing was a fighting game, but the story mode was apparently pretty complex, according to Saruhiko. It also turned out that this wasn’t the first game either, the original one being popular enough to score a sequel, though it was more of a side story of two characters from the original series. Something about a broken friendship, Fushimi had said. It sounded pretty interesting and all, but that wasn't really what mattered to Yata at the moment though.

What really mattered was kicking Saruhiko’s ass, and kicking it good. It may have been his first time playing this game in particular, but he was no novice to fighting games. Though it was obvious that Saruhiko wasn't either, or rather than that, he was actually really good. Surprisingly so, even. He could totally be a competitive player or something!

Despite all that, they did a few practice rounds for Yata to figure out the move mechanics and pick out a character for him to use anyways. Yata didn’t really feel the need for it, but Fushimi insisted so that he couldn’t ‘make any excuses for losing’. As if. Whatever, he’d make him eat those words soon.

It didn't take long for Yata to find out who his favorite was though, the young man with intense eyes and a red aura he'd seen on the cover earlier. He was strong and easy to play with, not to mention he rode a skateboard just like he did, which may or may not have added to why he liked him so much. His character also had a pipe that went ablaze with fire whenever he wielded it, and Yata had to admit the graphics of the flames looked a hell of a lot cooler than they would’ve on his outdated console. Damn, I need to buy one of these soon!

Fushimi also had his favorite it seemed, who Yata recognized as the blue aura guy that stood next to his own character on the front of the game case. He found out quickly that not only was Fushimi's character pretty fast and wielded a sword, but that he had an assortment of hidden knives. He had to admit that it was pretty cool, but it was also kind of annoying how Fushimi tended to throw them in groups the way he did, barely giving him a chance to attack back. His character had no problem deflecting them though, using his previously discovered pipe to rid of them. It was awesome to use, his character spinning it around, creating a sort of shield against the onslaught of knives. The combo usually got Fushimi to click his tongue in frustration whenever he used it too, which was a plus. Heh.

“Hah! Take that, Saruhiko!” Yata says, moving his avatar forward to hit Fushimi's own after deflecting the knives. He began to notice that Fushimi always had a short regrouping period after throwing all his knives, so if he played his cards right, no doubt he would get the winning hit in.

With that in mind, Yata presses the button to hit Fushimi’s character with his pipe, when suddenly Fushimi’s character also surges forward. What the… he shouldn’t be able to move yet!

“You're gonna have to be quicker if you want to beat me, Misaki.”

“Huh? Oh shit!”

Yata had been too careless in his attack, not even realizing that Fushimi hadn’t actually used all of his knives in the earlier attack, meaning he’d obviously faked not being able to move, leaving Yata open to the few knives Fushimi had left. Normally a few knives wouldn’t do much damage, but since Yata’s health was already so low, it was apparently all Fushimi needed, his character groaning in pain before falling to the ground, lifeless.

“Ahhh! Fuck!” Yata groaned, leaning back on the couch in defeat. That was the last round out of the grouped three, and he was so close to winning, “I almost had you, dammit!”

“You wish.”

“Seriously, one more round and I’ll kick your ass for real!”

“You’ve been saying that the past couple of hours, Misaki.”

“What? Hours? Has it seriously been that long?” Yata says, incredulous. There’s no way… Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Yata checks the time to see that, yes, it really had been that long, a whopping four hours of gameplay, “Holy shit!”

“You really don’t pay attention do you?”

“Shut up! I was just having so much fun I didn’t notice. Sue me.”

“Fun, huh?” Fushimi says, repeating the words. It didn’t seem like it was really directed at Yata though, his voice low and contemplative, almost as if he were talking to himself.

“I guess I should get going though, I have work in the morning...” Yata says, a bit disheartened. He really wanted to stay longer, but he had another early shift, and did not want a repeat of what happened earlier today. Not to mention he seemed to interrupt Fushimi in the middle of what looked to be homework or something of the sort.

Fushimi doesn’t respond though, his gaze focused on the controller in his hand. Did he not hear me? Yata’s about to repeat what he’d just said, until Fushimi’s eyes meet his, typical smirk in place, “True, you probably don’t want to spend all night losing, anyways.”

“Oh fuck off, I beat you a couple times!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You... don’t even make it sound like it didn’t happen!”

“Hm, who knows.”

“You’re a pain in the ass you know that?”

“So I’ve heard. From you. Multiple times.” Fushimi says, setting his controller on the table to stand up, to which Yata does the same.

“Somehow, I doubt I’m the only one who thinks that though,” Yata says, laughing a bit at the scowl Fushimi aims at him, “Here, I’ll help you clean up before I go.”

“It’s fine, I got it.”

This again? “Seriously, Saruhiko it’s fine, I’d feel bad making you do all the work.” Reaching for their plates, Yata stacks them on top of each other, along with the forks, and takes them into his hands, “I’ll go wash these!” He chimes, ready to head over to the kitchen. Their apartments were practically the same, so he knew where it was already.

“Wait, Misaki--”

Briskly walking over to his destination, Yata stops in his tracks when he feels something grab onto his shoulder, probably in an attempt to keep him from seeing what he had already seen, a gasp unconsciously escaping his lips, “Saruhiko, you...”

Unlike the living room which was mostly barren, the kitchen was the opposite. In the sink lay dish upon dish, even making their way onto the counter along with a few take out boxes. It was a complete mess. Honestly, Yata was surprised he still had any dishes left for the cake after seeing the pile in the sink. Did he ever clean this place? Hearing the click of a tongue, Yata is reminded of the firm grip on his shoulder, and turns to peek at Fushimi slowly.

Fushimi had more of a troubled look on his face, rather than an annoyed one, but he wasn’t meeting Yata’s gaze either, his eyes trained on the floor instead, “Idiot, that’s why I told you to wait,” He mumbled.

“Ah, oh, sorry.” Yata says, the urge to rub the back of his neck impossible with the dishes in his hands.

He felt kind of awkward about it, seeing how Fushimi tried to hide it from him and the way he was acting about it. It wasn’t a big deal though, really. His family got pretty messy sometimes too, what with his mom being too busy juggling with work and the kids sometimes to properly deal with the housework, which was when he’d step in to help out. Well, before he left anyways. Either way, this was no different, in fact, he liked helping out around the house, it always felt rewarding in a sense. With that in mind, Yata attempts to break the awkward silence, “Well, I said I’d help you out right? Come on, Saruhiko.”

Taking a step forward, Yata looks back again when he notices Fushimi isn’t following him, “Saruhiko?”

“…You don’t have to.”

Sighing, Yata turns to face Fushimi a little better, “I want to, okay? Let’s go, you’re helping me too.” Yata says, tugging the shoulder Fushimi is holding, trying to coax him.

Fushimi frowns at that, though whether it was from Yata finding out about the whole scene or from the idea of doing chores, Yata isn’t sure. Despite Fushimi’s obvious displeasure with the situation, he lets go of Yata’s shoulder anyways, and follows him into the kitchen.

With the lights on, the kitchen looked a little less daunting. There were still a lot of dishes to deal with, but with the shadows gone, the pile was actually a little smaller than expected. Though there was a lot of them, they didn’t look all that dirty surprisingly, just small stains here and there, making Yata wonder if he actually even ate anything off them.

“Alright, I’ll wash them and you dry, okay?” Yata says, stepping up to the sink, Fushimi taking his place next to him. Rolling up his sleeves, Yata turns on the water and grabs a sponge that almost looked brand new. Seriously, has he even used this thing?

The response is quiet, but comes nonetheless, “Mm.”

“Okay, let’s do this!”

\--

They ended up washing the dishes pretty quickly, much to Fushimi’s surprise. It usually felt like hours whenever he’d done the dishes himself, but somehow... time seemed to fly by this time around. He wasn’t sure if it was because he didn’t have to actually wash any of them himself, since Misaki washing them for him, or if it was Misaki’s insistent chatter having distracted him the whole time.

Either way, he was grateful, considering he wasn’t very fond of the dishes, or any sort of chores for that matter. He tried to avoid doing them as much as possible, as the current state of his kitchen had proved, and even resorted to using disposable dishes whenever possible to lessen the workload, but even then there were times where he had to use his own dishware.

The worst part of dishes though, was definitely when it came to washing spoons, the annoying little things always blasting water on him if he wasn't careful. He’d learned the hard way how not to wash them, but it was still a hassle. He came to find that they were just as annoying when Misaki was washing them though, as a small spray of water launched at him, effectively wetting the front of his shirt, “Ah, fuck!” Misaki yelped, cutting off whatever story he was telling midway through, maneuvering the spoon to stop it from spraying at him.

“S-sorry, Saruhiko!”

“Nice going, idiot.” Fushimi says, tugging at the shirt to get a better look at the wet spot. It wasn’t that bad, but it still wasn’t exactly pleasant, “Have you ever washed dishes before?” Not that I can really talk… He realized he was being a bit of a hypocrite, but Yata’s reaction would be worth it.

“Oi, what was that, you damn monkey?” Yata says, turning the spoon so that it was now spraying at him again, mischievous grin on his face, “Take this!”

Okay, maybe not so worth it. Yata had definitely reacted, but not in the way he expected. 

“Geh-- what do you think you’re doing?” He says, attempting to jump away, only for Yata to grab onto his wrist, “Let go, idiot, my clothes are getting wet.”

“That’s the whole point, jerk!”

“Misaki... you little...”

Realizing that Yata wasn’t planning on letting go anytime soon, Fushimi moves forward, reaching into the sink himself to grab the offending object. It turned out that didn’t matter though, seeing as Yata gave it up pretty easily, instead motioning to grab the hose head that sat at the top of the sink. He wouldn’t...

“Misaki, you better not do what I --” Fushimi starts, but is abruptly cut off by a blast of water to the face, soaking not only his clothes and hair, but his glasses as well, much to his displeasure and Yata’s delight, the laugh coming out bubbly in his throat.

Yata’s smile is so wide, it catches Fushimi off guard a little, his eyes widening in slight surprise. Even though he hadn’t known Yata for long, Fushimi had already seen an array of expressions on his face, ranging from excitement, to obvious annoyance. They were always so vibrant and bright, and seeing such an open display of joy wasn’t something he’d expected to happen while washing some pesky dishes. The moment was ruined though, when Yata continued to taunt him, the light tone echoing in his ears.

“Ahaha, how’s that, Saruhiko!”

“You really have some nerve, Misaki.” He says, taking off his glasses and setting them on the counter. They would only get in the way at this point, the droplets of water from earlier clouding his vision.

“What? You gonna do something about it, huh?”

“You’re really going to regret doing that,” He says, scooping up a large handful of bubbles and smashing them onto Yata’s auburn hair, along with part of his face, temporarily blinding him.

It wasn’t as effective as the water, but it was enough for the moment, as it distracted Yata from what he was trying to do. Attempting to grab for the hose again, Fushimi grabs Yata’s arm to bring it more in reach, only to slip on some of the water that had undoubtedly spilled on the floor from his earlier spray to the face, causing him to fall forward, “Oi, Saruhiko what the--”

Fushimi never gets to hear the end of that sentence, the last of it being cut off by a curse and groan from the harsh landing. That, and well, the added weight of Fushimi landing on top of Yata, who was now underneath him, the impact most likely knocking the air out of him, “F-fuck...”

Lifting his head up from where it landed on Yata’s chest, Fushimi looks up, taking in the sight of Yata’s features. They… were a lot closer together than he’d expected, so close that he could feel Yata’s breath on his face, and smell the dish soap that was now in Yata’s hair, which was wet from the bubbles. His bangs were sticking to his forehead because of it, and mussed up from where Fushimi had spread it all. He still had remnants of bubbles dotting his face too, almost as if he had just taken a bath, making for an entertaining image.

Yata had his eyes shut tightly though, his arm snaked around the back of his head, rubbing the sore spot where it hit the ground. It looked to be somewhat painful, Yata’s face wincing a little at the contact.

Just as Fushimi’s about to ask if he’s okay, Yata begins to shift, and groans before speaking up, beating him to it, “Saruhiko, are you— “Slowly opening his eyes, Yata’s gaze moves from the ceiling to Fushimi’s face as he tilts his head forward, trying to peer down at Fushimi. The action brings their faces even closer, and when Yata makes eye contact with Fushimi, his face goes slightly red, his sentence stalling midway. “u-uh are you alright?”

“…I’m fine.” Fushimi says, a bit surprised at the close proximity. His eyes are hazel… He hadn’t noticed it earlier, but now that he did, they were enrapturing to look at. Not only were Yata’s reactions vibrant, but so were his eyes, seemingly glowing in the kitchen light.

He must’ve been staring for too long though, Yata clearing his throat in an attempt to break the awkward silence, “M-man, Saruhiko you really know how to fall.” Yata says, laughing nervously.

What the hell am I doing?

Clicking his tongue Fushimi averts his gaze, “And exactly whose fault do you think it is that I fell?”

“Hey! No one made you reach forward like that!”

“If I hadn’t, you would’ve sprayed me with the hose again.” Fushimi says, frowning.

“Well, that’s what you get for calling me an idiot.”

“That’s because you are one.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Yata laughs, louder this time, and Fushimi can feel the rise and fall underneath him because of it. The feeling reminds him where he is exactly, and he belatedly realizes he should probably get up.

Putting his hands on either side of Yata, Fushimi manages to get up, albeit a bit slowly, not wanting to trip for a second time. Yata does the same after, and wipes the remaining bubbles off his face. Looking at Yata now, he was just as soaked as he was, his clothes darker where the water had seeped into the fabric. He guessed he probably looked about the same, or even worse, considering he’d had an actual hose spraying at him, rather than a handful bubbles.

“Ah, looks like we gotta clean all this up.” Yata says, scratching at his nose.

Following Yata’s gaze, Fushimi notices the bubbles and water all over the floor, sink, and even part of the counter. It was worse than he’d expected, he hadn’t even noticed things had gotten so out of hand until it was pointed out. Letting out a long sigh, Fushimi eyes Yata with a slight glare.

“W-well, It’s not like this place couldn’t use a full cleaning, anyways.” Yata tries.

“Misaki, it’s two in the morning...”

“We better get moving then!”

\--

By the time they finish, it’s a little past three. Even though the plan was for the both of them to clean the kitchen, it somehow ended up being Yata doing most of the work, with Fushimi slacking off in some random corner. He didn’t really mind though, housework was one of his specialties after all.

Wiping down the last bit of counter, Yata put his hands on his hips, admiring his own work. It really looked ten times better, if he did say so himself. Fushimi didn’t seem to notice though, being too preoccupied with whatever game he was playing on his phone, the loud, upbeat music filling the room.

“Oi, monkey,” Yata says, walking over to where Fushimi was leaning on the counter, “I’m finished.”

“Hm, are you now?

“You could sound a little more grateful, you know.” Yata says, to which Fushimi just shrugs.

“It was your idea, not mine.”

Well, he was right about that, but still. Leaning against Fushimi’s side, Yata watches as he plays for a little while, before a sudden wave of sleepiness hits him. He’d been keeping himself busy the past few hours, so he hadn’t really noticed how tired he was until then. Well, I did stay up late last night, too. 

He tries to fight off his drowsiness, but before he knows it, Fushimi is flicking at his forehead.

“Oi, Misaki.” Fushimi says, voice low, “Get off me.”

“Eh?” Looking towards Fushimi, Yata’s eye go wide. He’d fallen asleep on Fushimi’s shoulder at some point, making the distance between them miniscule. So close! “S-sorry! I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you like that...”

“It’s fine, it wasn’t for long anyways.”

Shaking his head a little, Yata takes a step back and stretches in an attempt to wipe his embarrassment away. He could tell his face was a bit hot, obviously flushing from the incident. What the hell? It’s not that big of a deal, seriously... Stealing a glance at Fushimi, Yata saw he didn’t seem the least bit bothered by it though. He didn’t think Fushimi was one for physical contact, so it was a bit surprising.

“Are you leaving now?”

“Ah, yeah, if I stay up any longer I’ll seriously sleep in for work.”

Pausing his game, Fushimi looks up to Yata with a smirk, “Something tells me that would happen regardless.”

“Fuck off! Today was an exception!”

“Didn’t look like it.”

Glaring, Yata eyes Fushimi for a moment before turning to leave the kitchen. He really shouldn’t rise to the bait, he’d already managed to stay over for way too long, “Whatever, asshole. I’m leaving now.”

“Suit yourself.” Is the reply Yata gets, the game music from before already picking up from where it left off. Somehow, that left him feeling restless, as if there was something else he should say or do before leaving. He wasn’t sure where that feeling was coming from, but before he could stop himself, the words were leaving his mouth, “Saruhiko,” He says, waiting until Fushimi looks up from his phone a second time before continuing, “You should… come visit me at work sometime, yeah? I’ll give you a discount.”

For a moment, Fushimi doesn’t answer, the silence making Yata feel oddly self-conscious about the way he’d brought it up. He was starting to wonder if he’d crossed the line with his request, which was a little ridiculous considering how he’d practically invited himself over earlier, but as the seconds ticked by, he couldn’t shake the feeling.

“...We’ll see.” Fushimi says.

Looking back to his phone again, Fushimi leaves it at that. Yata couldn’t read the expression on his face, but the fact that he hadn’t flat out rejected the idea makes him break out into a smile, “Alright then, it’s a deal! See you around, Saruhiko!” Yata says, waving his hand as he makes his way out of the kitchen, a bounce in his step.

Tonight was awesome!

\--

Reveling in his thoughts of the night before, Yata hadn’t realized how quickly the last remaining minutes of his shift had dwindled down to zero, until Chitose flicked him on the forehead. 

“Hey, Chihuahua, what’re you spacing out for? Your shifts over.”

“Fuck off, asshole!” Yata growled, rubbing the now sore spot, “I know that already.”

Shooting one last glance at the door, Yata reluctantly moves from the counter, taking off his apron as he does. He really shouldn't have been so let down, Fushimi had said ‘we’ll see’ after all, and even if he did come, he never specified when that'd be. Sighing, Yata retreats to the back room to hang his apron and grab his skateboard, ready to go home.

Well, there's always next time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter! I've had it written for a while but I had a hard time being happy with where it went and fought a lot with the idea of changing it up. In the end tho I didn't really change anything, but I think I'm happy with how it turned out now. Anyways thanks to Lucy and Shae for helping me out! It was much needed ^o^ <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little preview into Fushimi's life at school and some time with his club members.
> 
> Thanks to Lucy ofc for looking over this chapter for me! <3 I hope you all enjoy~

Standing alone in his now-clean kitchen, Fushimi waits until he hears the sound of his front door closing before locking his phone and pocketing it, finally taking the chance to look around the place as he does. It really was spotless; the sink practically sparkling with the number Yata had done on it. He could tell Yata was the type to get really hyped up on things, but when he'd managed to get them to do the dishes, he didn't expect him to go _this_ far. It hadn't looked this good since he first moved in, which even though that wasn't long ago, it felt like it had been.

When Yata had first spotted his kitchen, he wasn’t sure what he’d expected his reaction to be. Maybe disgust or mockery of some sort, considering how big of a mess it was. Instead, he found himself being surprised again that night when Yata had offered to help clean it with him, not a single trace of judgement on his face. It was a pleasant sort of surprised though, which Fushimi had to admit he didn’t feel often. It wasn’t an unwelcome feeling by any means, though.

Honestly, he was silently grateful for the offer, the annoyance of cleaning it all being split in half. It ended up being more enjoyable than he would’ve originally expected as well, time flying with Yata by his side. Hell, it had been like that the whole night really, and he hadn’t even noticed until now. _That’s unusual..._

He usually wasn’t one to put up with other people for long, unless the situation absolutely called for it, like school for instance. So seeing how much time he’d spent with Yata without wanting to eject himself from the planet, it definitely wasn’t the norm for him. It was unlike him to get caught up in someone’s pace like that, but it seemed Yata knew just how to string Fushimi along. _Better not let him get used to it..._ If Yata had somehow come to realize his influence and took advantage of that knowledge, Fushimi had a feeling he’d be spending a lot more time doing random things than doing things he should’ve been doing. They barely knew each other as it was, and Yata had already interrupted his plans so easily, he couldn’t imagine how things would turn out if Yata were to become more comfortable with him somehow.

Aside from all that, Yata had even said he’d had _fun_ with him, which was another oddity in itself. He was pretty sure there was no one else in the world who would ever describe a time with him as being ‘fun’, aside from maybe his club advisor, and he wasn’t sure if that was exactly a good thing. To say whether or not he had fun himself, well... he couldn’t say he _hated_ the company.

In the end, it didn’t really matter at the moment. What mattered now was that it was just past three, and he still had homework to catch up on. Yata had interrupted him in the middle of his work, and here he was, standing in his kitchen with barely any of it done. “This is going to be a pain...”

Grabbing a few energy drinks from the fridge, Fushimi slowly makes his way back to his living room, accepting his fate. If he thought he wouldn’t be getting much sleep before, he definitely wasn’t getting any now. Somehow though... he didn’t find himself regretting it as much as he probably should’ve.

“Better get this over with.” He sighs, opening his laptop.

It was going to be a long day.

\--

By the time he managed to get all of his work done, the sun was already out and the birds were chirping, signaling the start of a new day. Or at least, what was a new day for most.

He still had another hour or so before he needed to head to class, and was currently debating on whether or not to take a nap. Naps were always a good idea in theory, but often proved to be bad decisions, as he’d learned from past experiences. They usually left him feeling more groggy and tired than he was beforehand, and he wasn’t exactly up for that sort of inconvenience. It was probably better to just suffer through his current drowsiness and down as much caffeine as possible, honestly.

Shoving his work and laptop into his bag, Fushimi decides on another energy drink in order jolt himself awake. He wasn’t a morning person to begin with, and mornings like these were no better, the day dragging on as he tried his best not to pass out in class. It was Wednesday though, which meant it was his short day, so he decided he could hang in there a little longer, if only just barely. Just a few hours at school and he could come home and crash.

After a quick shower, Fushimi throws on some clothes and is out the door. As he checks the time again, he notes that he’s just on time. _Unlike someone, I’m sure._ Glancing over at Yata’s door, he couldn’t help but wonder if Yata had actually managed to get up in time for his shift in the end, considering how late he’d been over. He was pretty sure Yata wasn’t the type to pull an all-nighter like he often did, if the way he’d somehow managed to fall asleep standing up had proved. He had never seen a person fall asleep standing like that before, and though it only lasted for a moment, with Yata’s head resting on his shoulder, the thought somehow stuck with him.

Tearing his eyes from Yata’s door, Fushimi shoves the memory down, and makes his way down the stairs. He didn’t even know why he was wasting his time thinking about it, and it wasn’t any of his business if Yata had managed to wake up or not.

_It’s not my fault if you end up late again, idiot._

\--

Despite being somewhat early to campus, there were a bit more people there than he would’ve liked. No matter how many times he’d come to school, he could never get over the annoying hoard of people. Most of them minded their own business, either playing on their phones or doing homework of some kind, but there were always _some_ people who didn’t know how to shut up for the life of them.

His impending headache and lack of sleep definitely aided in his annoyance as he walked to the library, a group of students somehow managing to be full of energy so early in the morning as they ran around throwing a football. Not even as a child was he ever so energetic, so how these people managed to be laughing and running around campus at this time of day was a mystery to him.

Turning the corner, Fushimi is suddenly bumped into, the impact startling him out of his annoyed daze. “Ah sorry about tha-” A voice starts, only for it to stop abruptly. Looking up to glare at whoever it was that had ran into him, Fushimi is met with a familiar, irritating face. _Of course._ “-O-oh! Fushimi-san, sorry... I didn’t realize you were there.”

“Obviously.” Fushimi says, clicking his tongue.

Speaking of energetic idiots, it _would_ be Domyouji of all people that he’d run into first thing in the morning. Andy Domyouji was one of Fushimi’s classmates, as well as a member in the club he was in, the Scepter 4. It was a club that was pretty well known on campus, and though Fushimi had never planned on actually joining a club _ever_ , he found himself joining somehow with the promise it showed.

Scepter 4 was meant to be a club specifically for those looking for a challenge in their academic life, and had gained attention from all the difficult assignments and projects they often dished out. Not to mention it proved well to have on your resume, if you did well anyways. Plenty of people would join out of curiosity to see if it was really as extreme as the rumors had said, only to drop out of the club within the first few days, seeing that it was no mere rumor. Despite that, there were a few that remained as the weeks went on, and Domyouji was somehow one of them.

He’d joined the club around the same time as Fushimi, and could still remember the day they met. Domyouji was a lot more talkative than the other members who were also applying for the club, and Fushimi found immediately that he did not want to deal with him. His high energy being enough to drain him alone. Out of all the members in their club, he was definitely one of the most troublesome, along with another member, Hidaka. That being said, Fushimi was surprised to find out he’d actually managed to do well on the test required to join the club, based on what he’d seen of his personality. He didn’t think someone like him would be able to concentrate for so long, but it looked like he might’ve judged Domyouji a little too soon.

“Watch where you’re going next time.” Fushimi says, fixing the strap of his bag.

“Right, sorry!”

Ignoring the lack of any real remorse in Domyouji’s apology, Fushimi grunts in acknowledgement and motions to walk past Domyouji. Fushimi only manages to walk a couple more feet before he notes that he’s being followed, Domyouji trailing not far behind him. _What does this idiot want now?_

Sighing, Fushimi stops once again, and chances a glance back. As expected, Domyouji was indeed following him, though for what reason, he had no idea. He didn’t exactly want to find out either, but as it was, it didn’t look like he had much of a choice. “What?”

Seemingly taking that as a cue for whatever he was planning to be okay, Domyouji brightens up, and quickly closes the distance between them, the two of them now side by side. “I was just thinking we could walk together.” Domyouji says, smile wide.

_What._

“... Weren’t you just heading the other way, though?” Fushimi says, in hopes of somehow putting a stop to this whole thing.

“Mm, well I was going to go grab a coffee, but when I ran into you, I changed my mind!”

Fushimi feels his eye twitch, but tries to keep his voice from sounding too irritated as he replies, “And why is that exactly?”

“You’re going to the library right?” Domyouji says, pointing to the building, “I figured I could join you and we could study together!”

_Fantastic._

Somehow, this sounded like a horrible idea. Studying with Domyouji sounded like something that was near impossible, considering how he’d never actually seen or heard of Domyouji doing so aside for when it came to being a few minutes before the actual test. He wasn’t the type to keep his mouth shut for too long either, his classmate always being quick to gossip about whoever and whatever. No way was Fushimi in a mood to put up with that.

“Sorry, but I actually _intend_ on studying, so I don’t think this is going to work.”

“Oh don’t be like that Fushimi-san!” Domyouji says, seemingly completely oblivious to the meaning behind Fushimi’s words, “It’ll be fine, I promise.”

With that, Domyouji continues to walk in the direction of the library, giving Fushimi no other choice but to do the same.

\--

As they walked to the library, his classmate continued to talk merrily about an assignment in one of their shared classes, asking Fushimi if he’d manage to finish it all, which then lead to the not so surprising revelation that Domyouji had not.

That wasn’t all though, somehow in the midst of all Domyouji’s chatter, he had messaged some of their fellow club members to join them in their ‘study session’, only serving to further worsen his day. Things were definitely not going as planned, to say the least. All he wanted was some peace and quiet, and yet here he was, suffering with the people he’d been forced to deal with on an almost daily occasion.

They were all seated at a table in the back of the library, which though it wasn’t much, Fushimi was glad he had that much peace to cling onto, the number of people who passed this area being little to none. There was a total of five of them, including himself. Beside him on his left was Domyouji, who was talking to Enomoto and Hidaka about something excitedly while the two of them tried to coax him into being a little more quiet. It seemed they had all planned to meet up at the coffee shop originally, but with Domyouji running into Fushimi and changing things up, they had all ended up here instead. _How fortunate._ He couldn’t help but be a bit bitter at his time alone being interrupted.

“Fushimi-san, are you alright?” A voice calls, though a bit quietly, as if not to attract attention from the others.

Looking to his other side, Fushimi meets Akiyama’s worried expression and sighs lightly. He didn’t even know why he bothered with being worried about him, if that’s what he was. It wasn’t like any of them were really friends with him. “I’m fine.”

“Is that so,” Akiyama says, though he doesn’t seem to be too convinced, “You look like you could use some sleep.”

Well, it was the truth, but he didn’t see how talking about it would help.

“I pulled an all-nighter.”

“Eh? An all-nighter?” Akiyama says, slightly surprised, “I know you don’t sleep enough, but what made you have to go as far as an all-nighter?”

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi looks away, annoyed that he’d let himself slip up like that. He should’ve just made something up, since he didn’t exactly want to get into details about why or rather, _who_ had kept him up so late last night. It would be best to keep that sort of thing from getting out to his club members, lest they get the wrong-

“N-no way...” A voice pops up, along with the sound of a chair being pulled out, “Don’t tell me, Fushimi-san got laid?!”

The table goes silent for a moment, as everyone processes what had just been said. Hidaka was standing up from where he was previously sitting, his hand pointing out at Fushimi, a shocked yet somehow betrayed look on his face. Akiyama and Enomoto looked downright uncomfortable, though a little intrigued at the mention. Whereas Domyouji looked like he was about to be given a winning lotto ticket, his features clearly painting a look of pure excitement.

_So much for them not getting the wrong idea._

Immediately, Domyouji pipes in, the promise of gossip spurring him into action, “Really?! Fushimi-san, is it true?” He says, leaning closer to Fushimi in his chair.

Backing up a little at the new lack of space, Fushimi replies flatly, “No.”

Tugging on Domyouji’s shirt, Enomoto manages to pull Domyouji back into his seat. “I-I don’t think you two should be asking things like that,” He says, a bit hesitantly, “You’re going to upset Fushimi-san.”

“Not to mention it’s none of your business.” Akiyama says.

“But think about it,” Domyouji says, ignoring his friend’s comments, “Fushimi-san is never this early to school... Usually he just comes straight to the clubroom.”

“Why exactly do you keep track of that?” Akiyama asks, seemingly disturbed, “And I don’t really see how that has to do with anything eith-”

“-Oh my God!” Hidaka exclaims, apparently piecing _something_ together, “You don’t think... that he left early to leave _her_ behind, do you? Like a one night stand?”

“The early morning walk of shame!” Domyouji says, hands on his cheeks in surprise, “So scandalous!”

By this point, Fushimi was just about done. It was bad enough to have to spend more time with these people than necessary, and to top it off they were talking about his sex life. _That_ was definitely something he’d never wanted to touch upon with any of them. Ever.

Cutting Hidaka off before he could say whatever nonsense he was planning, Fushimi speaks up, “What about ‘no’ don’t you idiots understand?” He says, “I didn’t have a one night stand, and even if I did, it’s none of your business.”

Shoving his things in his bag, Fushimi gets up from his seat, leaving Domyouji and Hidaka with the expressions of scolded children, while Enomoto and Akiyama glanced at each other with troubled looks. He didn’t really care if he seemed dramatic, he’d had enough dealing with these people while they gossiped about him in front of him.

“Fushimi-san, you don’t need to leave...” Enomoto tries.

“Y-yeah we were just messing around!” Domyouji says.

“It’s fine, my class is about to start anyways,” Fushimi says, shouldering his bag.

“Fushimi-san-” Akiyama says, only for him to continue walking. He didn’t necessarily have anything against Akiyama or Enomoto then, but at that moment he didn’t have the patience to deal with it.

It was because of moments like these that he avoided interacting with people more than he’d had to: it was a waste of time. Talking about pointless things like relationships and what not when it wasn’t really anyone’s business wasn’t his idea of a good time, and he wasn’t about to try and let the idea grow on him.

Even though he knew that in his head, he couldn’t help but compare the current situation to that of the night before. How he and Yata had hung out all night, and how he’d spent the majority of the night listening to Yata talk about such trivial things like his family and friends, and how it had gone without a hitch. It was odd, and not something he would’ve ever expected from someone as boisterous and energetic as Yata, but it had happened, and he hadn’t even regretted the fact he had gotten no sleep because of it. He didn’t exactly know what that said about them, but he didn’t want to think about it at the moment. _Pointless._

Toning out the sound of Hidaka and Domyouji being lectured behind him, Fushimi heads off to class.

_None of this matters._

\--

When he sees his club members later that day, he can immediately tell something is off.

Scepter 4 held club meetings every Wednesday, which though it was annoying, Fushimi saw how it was necessary. Their club had a lot of projects and assignments to work on, which were of course chosen by their club advisor, Munakata Reisi. He was in his third year of school, and as such, was appointed captain by last years members, being the best suited after all the other members had graduated. Not to mention he had a level head and was one of the university’s top students, only adding to his good reputation.

Fushimi had some spare time until the club meeting though, so when he’d entered the on campus cafe after finishing up his classes to kill time, he was a little shocked to see the three from earlier that morning were also in there, seemingly waiting for their orders by the counter, not too far from him. _Of course this would happen._

He grew suspicious at the reactions he received upon sitting down at his seat, only for Akiyama to then ask to join him, taking a seat across from him at the table he’d chosen. At least _he_ was acting like normal, greeting Fushimi with his usual smile as he’d watch him take out his laptop, only to sit there silently as he toyed with his phone. He couldn’t say the same for the other three, as they were a bit more... hesitant than usual. Enomoto looked like he was waiting for something to happen, while Hidaka and Domyouji had unsure looks on their faces.

“What?” Fushimi says, the looks he was getting already serving to irritating him.

At that, Hidaka and Domyouji glance at each other somewhat warily, before slowly approaching him, fresh drinks in hand. They didn’t look particularly happy with the situation, and Fushimi was starting to feel like he should’ve went straight to the clubroom.

“Fushimi-san,” Domyouji says, “We just wanted to... to uh-”

“-Apologize,” Hidaka says, cutting in, “For earlier.”

_Ah, so that’s what Enomoto was waiting for._ He had a feeling it was mostly due to Akiyama and Enomoto’s lecture that he’d walked out on in the library that they were even doing this, but even so, he didn’t have a reason to ignore it. He hadn’t really thought about the whole thing since this morning anyways, having pushed the whole thing to the back of his mind. It was irritating, but it wasn’t anything he didn’t expect from the two already, and he’d learned long ago to just not make a big deal out of anything the two did or said.

“It’s fine,” Fushimi mumbles, distracting himself with himself with some assignment that was on his screen. It still felt weird, having people apologize to him, and he wasn’t entirely sure how to act in situations like these. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Akiyama says, looking up from his phone, as if he’d known all along.

At that, Domyouji and Hidaka breathe a sigh of relief, small smiles adorning their features. Taking that as a cue that the coast is clear, Enomoto leaves his safe spot behind Hidaka, joining the three of them. “That’s great you guys,” Enomoto says, “I’m glad you made up!” To which everyone else agrees.

_This is ridiculous._

“Does it really matter?” Fushimi says.

It wasn’t even something that needed an apology really, but as the words leave his mouth, Enomoto seems somewhat appalled by the remark, the comment making him lose his typical hesitance, “Of course it does, Fushimi-san! It’s important to make up with friends.”

_This again..._ He didn’t know how many times he’d have to drill it into their heads that they weren’t friends, the whole lot of them being painfully thick. Things had been good at the beginning of the semester, when everyone seemed to get the hint that he wasn’t looking to make friends, or at least, until about a month and a few club meetings in.

Where everyone knew not to push their luck when it came to talking to him, only Hidaka seemed to try and change that in the beginning. It was annoying, and it still was, but thanks to that everyone else seemed to get the idea that maybe it’d actually be okay to talk to him, or even force plans on him on occasion. The sad thing was that it’d been getting worse lately, and he’d even found himself having a harder time turning them down, like with the library incident this morning. Sometimes it took more energy denying their offers than it was to just suffer through it.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Fushimi sighs, “Right.”

“Well now that that’s settled,” Hidaka says, a mischievous grin on his face, “What exactly happened last night?”

It was then that Fushimi was forced to come to terms for the millionth time that they would _never_ get the hint. Or any hints about anything, ever. The idiot duo was already spewing off new theories and ideas, while Enomoto and Akiyama were trying to defuse the situation. _It’s like a never-ending cycle._

“You guys really don’t learn do you?” Akiyama says, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

“You guys need to stop!” Enomoto says, glancing over at Fushimi warily.

Scoffing, Domyouji rolls his eyes. “Don’t act like you guys aren’t curious too!” Only for Hidaka to eagerly nod.

_Seriously..._ This was getting out of hand. What had happened last night was far off from what they were coming up with, but he had a feeling this wouldn’t die down anytime soon. The whole reason he’d wanted to avoid telling them anything was so their minds wouldn’t wander, and yet here he was for the second time today, being hounded for a dumb slip up he’d made. _I guess it’s fine... Not like I have a choice anyways._ He’d only tell them enough to get them off his back, then be done with it.

There was about fifteen minutes until they needed to head to the clubroom, and it was better than leaving them to their own devices. Knowing them, they’d probably start rumors and spread them throughout the club, not that he really cared about what the others thought about him. It was more of what the captain would do if he found out, his ears always managing to pick up what he’d wanted to deal with the least. The last time a rumor had gotten out of hand, he’d forced everyone to stay longer and have a sort of ‘intervention’, and he was not about to deal with awkward group confessions again. _Just tell them the bare minimum._

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi glares, shutting everyone up instantly. “...Fine. I’ll tell you, but only if you shut up.” As expected, they all nod in agreement, obviously eager.

He knew he would regret it, but it was better to nip this sort of thing in the bud. Somehow as he started revisiting the night before though, his clubmates’ excited and curious expressions focused on him, he started to feel like it might not be so bad to let them in on it.

Just this once.

\--

He had gone over last night multiple times, explaining it in the most simple and to the point way he could, and yet it seemed his clubmates still couldn’t understand. How hard was it to understand such a simple concept?

“Wait,” Domyouji says, for what Fushimi could only think of as being the umpteenth time, “You’re telling me... you guys hung out?”

Sighing, Fushimi rubs his eyelids, suddenly feeling drained. “ _Yes,_ ” He says, his annoyance completely apparent by this point, “We hung out. How many times do I have to say this?”

“Okay, but, like, _all_ night?” Domyouji questions further, clearly in shock.

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Not really it’s just... well, how do I explain...”

“I think what Domyouji is trying to say,” Hidaka pipes in, voice a little louder than necessary, “Is that you guys hung out, all night!”

Scratching the tip of his nose, Enomoto joins in. “Uh, Hidaka, that doesn’t exactly help...”

_This is a mess._

“Yes, I realize that,” Fushimi mumbles, “I was there.”

“That’s the thing! _You_ were with someone, for _hours_ hanging out, after only like, what, the second day of knowing him?” Hidaka continues, “And yet it took me _how_ long to get you to come around and hang out with us again?!”

_Ah, so that’s it._

“I don’t see what the big deal is-” Fushimi starts, only to be cut off when Hidaka prattles on.

“Do you know how hard it was to keep asking you to hang out with us, only for you to turn down my offers?”

“Um, Hidaka,” Enomoto says, putting a hand on the man’s shoulder, “I think you’re going a little overboard...”

“I agree,” Akiyama says, “Fushimi-san can hang out with whomever he pleases.”

_Not that I particularly_ wanted _to hang out with him or anything..._

“The point is,” Hidaka says, “This is just unfair.”

_Unfair?_ Of all the possible ways the conversations could’ve gone, Fushimi was definitely not expecting to hear that. Neither did the rest of the group it seemed, everyone making confused and shocked faces, that was until Domyouji started laughing.

“W-what so funny?” Hidaka says.

“You’re like a child,” Domyouji says, stopping for a moment as more laughter bubbles up from his throat, “What are you, jealous or something?”

“A-a child? I definitely don’t want to hear that from _you!_ ” Hidaka says, face turning red, “I can’t be the only one who thinks this is weird right?”

“I wouldn’t say... _weird_ ,” Enomoto says, only for Akiyama to nod in agreement.

Looking over to Fushimi, Akiyama offers a small smile, “Maybe Fushimi-san found someone he clicks with.”

At that, Fushimi’s mouth goes dry. Him? Clicking with someone? _Yeah, right._ There was no way that was the case. He couldn’t see himself clicking with an idiot like Yata, _ever_. If he were to ever click with anyone, it’d be with someone who was less annoying, and didn’t invite themselves into his home without warning.

Last night was just a fluke, or something, a disruption in what was right and normal in the universe. He had only managed to enjoy it because Yata was actually decent at a game that he typically beat others in easily, not to mention he had done his dishes for him. If it weren’t for those two things, Fushimi doubted he would’ve had any fun at all. _Fun... enjoy?_ The realization that he had used those two words in correlation to his night with Yata puts his excuses to a halt. _Did I just think I had ‘fun’ with Misaki?_

Surely his lack of sleep must’ve been getting to him, if this whole situation didn’t already make that painfully clear.

Interrupting his inner torment, Hidaka fights on, “Hey, Fushimi-san totally clicks with us!” Hidaka says, hands on the table as if he were ready to get up, “Right, Fushimi-san?”

Again, all eyes are on him, and Fushimi can tell who the smart ones are, their expressions knowing as they await his response. “Do you really want to know?”

With that, Hidaka’s face falls, as Domyouji pats Hidaka on the back, another laugh escaping him, “Sorry, Hidaka, but you kinda walked into that one.”

“Shut up.”

Checking the time on his phone, Enomoto’s perks up suddenly, eyes widening in alarm, “Guys, we better go, or we’re going to be late to the club meeting!”

Exchanging looks, everyone grabs their things and heads off to the door quickly. Munakata was not one for tardiness, and if you were late, there was often a price to pay. The last time Domyouji had been late, he had to do a total of ten problems made by Munakata himself. Fushimi could still recall the face Domyouji had made after he managed to solve them all successfully, and had vowed to never be late himself. “Come on, let’s go!” Domyouji says, waving his hand with urgency.

Fushimi and Akiyama were the last out the door, the two of them now alone as Domyouji runs off to catch up with Hidaka and Enomoto. They walked in silence as they watched the other three jog ahead, before Akiyama glances over at Fushimi, another small smile gracing his features.

For some reason, that smile made Fushimi feel uncomfortable, as if Akiyama knew something he didn’t. It reminded him of the smiles Munakata would give him sometimes, the smile that meant he’d already figured out something Fushimi was still trying to piece together. It wasn’t a look he’d ever get used to, and it certainly wasn’t one he wanted to see often, the feeling of it usually leaving him restless. He wasn’t sure why he got that impression, but as they continued to walk however, Akiyama’s words from before rang in Fushimi’s head: _‘Maybe Fushimi-san found someone he clicks with.’_

Tightening the grip on his bag a little, Fushimi pushes the thought to the back of his mind. It was an idiotic idea, he knew that, but as he turned the thought over in his head, there was something about it he couldn’t shake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing the s4 boys and it was a lot of fun tho I was a little worried about it at first lol. Thanks to Adri and Shae for helping me out with them and stopping me from freaking out over it LOL. I hope you all enjoyed, this was kind of a silly chapter but hopefully it was fun to read nonetheless! 
> 
> Thanks for reading and any comments/advice is appreciated since I'd like to improve my writing!


	5. Chapter 5

It had been three days, three frustratingly disappointing days.

The first day that Fushimi had failed to show up at Yata’s workplace was a let down, but he’d been able to reason with himself that Fushimi would come by later, or that maybe he had just forgotten. The second day was just as much of a disappointment as the first, if not worse, his excuses failing to console him as much this time around. By the third day though, frustration had joined into the mix, his hopes only to be crushed when it was time for him to clock out, another no show weighing on his mind.

Rationally, he knew he shouldn’t have been so upset about the whole thing, but he couldn’t help it. It wasn’t like Fushimi was obligated to come see him or anything, and it wasn’t like they really knew each other that well either. It was just that, well, he had had a lot of fun hanging out with him, and had thought it was a mutual feeling. They had spent just about the entire night together after all, none of it being a dull moment in the slightest. So when he’d asked Fushimi to come and visit him, he may have gotten a little... too ahead of himself. He had thought that Fushimi would come by the next day, the two of them picking up where they left off, and maybe even making plans for a later date. Now though, he wasn’t so sure, his doubts starting to get the better of him.

_Stupid..._

It got to the point where his friends had even noticed, though they were nice enough not to bother him about it too much. At least, in the beginning.

Cleaning off the counter after a long day, Yata's thoughts about Fushimi were really starting to get to him, his mind wandering as he thought about the whole situation. His reflection is interrupted though, as he feels a hand on his shoulder, gaining his attention. Glancing up, it was none other than Kusanagi, a slightly worried look on his face.

"Yata-chan, is everything alright?"

_Ah, I got found out._

"Yeah," Yata says, already smiling in an attempt to play it off, "Why do you ask?"

"Ah, well..." Kusanagi starts, eyes moving to where Yata had been cleaning, "It's just you've been cleaning that spot for the last five minutes or so."

"Eh?"

That was sort of embarrassing. He must’ve been so deep in his thoughts he hadn’t noticed. _Talk about lame._

"Rather than cleaning it, I'd say he was trying to kill it or something," Eric chimes from where he had been cleaning the tables, a smirk on his face.

"Or start a fire," Chitose says, soon after.

"Shut up! I was lost in thought, so what?" Yata says, "It's nothing."

Humming, Eric walks over to where Kusanagi and Yata stood, sitting down at one of the stools at the counter. "Yata? In thought? Who would've imagined..."

"Fuck off, Eric!" Yata says, irritation gracing his features, "Just something's been bothering me, is all."

"We can tell that much," Chitose says, waving his hand lightly, "You've been acting weird the past few days."

"Yeah, Yata-san," Kamamoto says, "Is something wrong?"

Flushing slightly, Yata looks away. His friends were being assholes yeah, but he got that they were worried about him. He didn't mean to worry them though, and felt a little bad about it. Honestly, it wasn't even a big deal, but seeing as he had been affected by it regardless, his listlessness showing, he figured it might do well to get some advice. _Well, the least I can do is try to talk about it._ It wasn't anything to be embarrassed about, and he was getting fed up with it, so why not?

Sighing, Yata regards his friends, their eyes on him, as they wait for him to spill the beans. "Alright, it's not a big deal or anything, but... I've been waiting for someone to show up here is all."

With that, a telling silence comes over the room, Yata's friends all giving each other knowing looks. It's Chitose that breaks the silence first though, breezing closer to everyone as he does. "Well, well, well," He starts, already sounding annoyingly condescending, "If you needed help with a girl, you should've just said so!"

It was Yata's turn to go silent, not seeing how the two were correlated. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You've been so frustrated lately because you've been stood up, right? It's nothing to be embarrassed about, I'm sure it's a common thing. Not that _I_ would know that struggle personally, anyways."

_What. The. Fuck._ This was not happening. Face flushing red, Yata watches in dismay as the whole scene unfolds, his friends already going off on their own tangents, even as he tries to cut them off, "W-wait a minute, that's not-"

"-Nice, Yata-san! I didn't know you had someone you were interested in," Kamamoto says, grin wide, patting him on the back.

Scoffing, Eric cuts in, clearly not impressed, "That doesn't really matter, seeing as how she's obviously not interested in him back."

"Now, that's not necessarily true," Chitose says, prattling on, "She could just be shy, you know."

"Or completely turned off after Yata probably sputtered all over her drink."

"Hey, fuck off, I can talk to girls just fine, damn it!" Yata says. He didn't really believe that lie himself, but like hell was he going to let them trash talk him like that.

"Uh, right," Chitose says, not bothering to pursue the topic, "So how long have you been waiting for her to show up? If you told me sooner I could've helped you woo her more."

"First of all," Yata says, glaring, " _She_ is a _he_ , and second of all, it's none of your business!"

The room goes silent again, as everyone takes in the new information. Yata was already irritated with the way things were going, and only had a feeling it would get worse. Why did everyone have to assume he was waiting on some girl to show up, anyways?

"Wow, big surprise," Eric says, completely unfazed.

"A guy, huh..." Chitose says, suddenly thoughtful, "Well, nothing wrong with that. I'm sure I can still help you snag him."

Face growing hotter, Yata's grip on the rag he was holding tightens. "You guys aren’t listening! I'm not trying to _snag_ him, jerk. I'm just waiting for him to show up, so we can hang out again!"

Eyes lighting up, Chitose moves closer, "Wait, you guys hung out already?"

"We did... It was only once, though."

"Hm," Chitose hums, hand on his chin, "First date gone wrong, huh?"

"D-date..." Yata says, "It wasn't a date! We just hung out at his place the other night for a little is all!"

"So you were bad in bed, then?" Eric says.

This was seriously taking a turn for the worse.

"B-bed?!" Yata sputters, getting more embarrassed by the minute, "He's just a friend! Or at least... I want him to be," Admitting it out loud, it felt kind of lame to say. That he wanted to be friends with Fushimi, and that he had been feeling at a loss the past few days because of it. It was the truth though, and it was a lot easier to talk about than whatever the hell his friends were going on about.

"What, that's it?” Chitose says, sighing, “You should've just said so."

"I was fucking _trying_ , but you wouldn't shut the hell up!"

"He's right," Eric says, only to earn a look from Chitose, eyebrows raised.

"You're the one who thought he did bad in bed."

“There’s still a chance for that to be true,” Eric says, nonchalant, “Well, if he manages to date anyone, ever.”

Laughing, Chitose adds onto it, but luckily for Yata, Kusanagi decides to cut in then. If he heard the rest of what they were saying, he was sure he’d have to kick some ass.

"Yata-chan," Kusanagi says, “So you’re in a bad mood because your friend hasn’t come, right?”

“Ah, yeah...” Yata says, suddenly feeling shy again. Kusanagi could seem like such a father-figure sometimes, it was comforting and embarrassing all the same, having someone talk to him like that.

“Have you tried contacting him?”

Well, that would’ve been a good idea, but he hadn’t exactly gotten far enough in their relationship to actually _ask_ Fushimi for it. “No... I don’t have his number.”

Humming in thought, Kusanagi replies with a small smile, “Well, it might be a bit of a stretch, but if you want to see him so bad why don’t you drop by? You said you were at his house the other day, right?”

“That’s right, Yata-san!” Kamamoto says, “Go visit him!”

“I guess I could,” Yata says, thinking. It was something he would’ve come up with eventually, but hearing his friends encourage it made it seem like an even better idea.

“You’re going there this late?” Chitose asks, checking his phone.

Chitose was right, it was already half-past ten, and the last time Yata had knocked on Fushimi’s door this late it wasn’t exactly pleasant. _Maybe I’ll drop by tomorrow, instead._

“See, look at that,” Eric says, “There’s still a chance for him to be bad in bed, after all.”

“Wha- C-could you knock it off with that shit?” Yata says, face heating up again, “We’re just friends! ...Kinda.”

“Yeah, right,” Eric says, standing up, “Because you’d totally be worrying so much over a _friend_.”

Glaring, Yata watches as Eric picks up where he left off in cleaning the tables, apparently done with the whole conversation. “The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Now, now,” Chitose says, “Let the boy figure it out on his own. They’ve only hung out once so far, after all.”

“You guys are seriously pissing me off with that shit.”

“Anyways, good luck, Yata-san!” Kamamoto says, supportive as always, “I’m sure it’ll work out just fine.”

Smiling, Yata replies, “Thanks!”

“Now, that that’s settled,” Kusanagi says, “Let’s finish this up and head home, shall we?”

Receiving a chorus of affirmatives, everyone goes back to what they were doing. It really wasn’t a big deal, and his friends pissed him off a lot, but in the end it wasn’t so bad. If Yata wanted to see Fushimi again, all he had to do was go and see him himself! They were neighbors after all, and if Fushimi didn’t like him, he’d rather have him tell him straight to his face, instead of standing around waiting for someone who might not even show up. With that new resolve in mind, Yata finishes up cleaning the counters, newly energized.

\--

The plan was to visit Fushimi the following morning, rather than show up at his doorstep in the middle of the night for the second time in their knowing each other. He didn’t exactly want to irritate Fushimi in case there was a reason for why he hadn’t come by, and he was just being too pushy, after all. At least, that _had_ been the plan, anyways.

Walking up the stairs to his apartment, Yata had played the scene out in his mind the whole ride home, and how he would approach Fushimi for the first time in days. He would knock on the door, and calmly inquire on why he hadn’t come to visit him at all the past three days, and if it turned out Fushimi wasn't avoiding him, he'd figure out if he was free to spend time with him or not. It wasn’t anything too out there, they had hung out once before already after all, but for some reason he was feeling kind of anxious about it. He was worried that maybe Fushimi didn’t want anything to do with him at all, and that he was trying to make that clear by not coming by the shop. Not to mention he was afraid he might’ve been acting too eager to hang out with him, and that maybe he really was just busy. He shouldn’t have been so nervous, considering how he’d practically invited himself in the last time. _Still though..._

He was probably overthinking it. No, he was definitely overthinking it.

It was hard not to though, especially after his friends had put weird ideas in his head. That he was pining after Fushimi, rather than trying to make friends with him as he’d insisted.

It was true, though! He really was only looking to be friends with Fushimi, no matter how good looking he may have thought he was. He wouldn’t deny that fact, at least to himself, considering he’d thought that the first time he’d seen him, despite the obviously tired look on Fushimi’s face when he’d first opened his door, along with that bad attitude. That wasn’t why he was trying so hard to talk to him though, he just... genuinely wanted to get to know him, was all. _Is that so hard to believe? Damn assholes._ Unlike _some_ people he knew, Yata wasn’t one to flirt with whoever was in sight. _Not because I_ can’t _flirt or anything. I can flirt just fine!_

... Probably.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Yata makes a point to ignore the door next to his, until his curiosity gets the better of him. Motioning to unlock his door, Yata’s thoughts wander, despite his attempts at keeping them under control, his mind going back to Fushimi. _I wonder if he’s up?_ It was somewhat late, but there was a chance he was, considering last time. Taking a quick glance, Yata looks over to Fushimi’s door, and feels his heart stop.

It was barely noticeable, Yata’s eyes catching onto it just before he turned his head back to open his own door when he notices it. _No way..._ Fushimi’s door was open, just a crack. If it weren’t for where he was standing, he was sure he wouldn’t have noticed, but as it were, the angle he was at allowed him to see it just perfectly. Immediately, Yata’s mind begins to race.

_How long has it been like that?_ He hadn’t noticed it when he’d left this morning, but again, he’d been trying to ignore how badly he’d been wanting to see Fushimi the past few days.

Taking a step closer, Yata inspects Fushimi’s door. It looked like he had tried to slam it shut, but didn’t push it hard enough for it do actually do so. That, or it was something far sinister. _W-what if he hasn’t visited because something bad happened?!_

It was probably far-fetched, but within the past few days, Yata hadn’t seen Fushimi leave his house once, or heard any noise indicating he was home. _Maybe someone broke in..._

Feeling his heart race, Yata weighs the pros and cons. If that were really the case, it’d probably be better to just call the cops, and let them take care of it. But then again... What if something happened and they took too long to get there? _Shit._ Or what if he called and nothing was wrong? Fushimi would probably kick his ass. _I’ll just take a quick peek, and if something’s off, I’ll call the cops after!_

Readying his phone just in case, Yata pushes the door open slowly, the hinges creaking as he does. He knew it was wrong to just enter someone’s house without permission, but as he entered the dark home, Yata’s manners fly out the window.

“Saru?” Yata calls, a bit hesitantly, before taking another step inside.

It really was dark inside, but luckily for Yata he had pretty good eyesight in the dark compared to the average person. It also helped that he had been in there before, the layout not hard to remember. It was kind of creepy though, being inside Fushimi’s house like this. He almost felt like a ghost could pop out at any minute with how the whole thing felt, the floorboards creaking beneath his feet, the complete and utter silence... _Better not think about that right now._

Creeping further down the hallway, Yata begins to note a dim light coming from the living room, the source illuminating the area slightly. Gulping, Yata grips his phone tighter and calls out again, “Oi, S-saru, you in there?”

No answer.

Turning the corner, Yata peers into the living room, his eyes focusing in on the new area. As his eyes make out the layout, he sees a black figure in the middle of the living room, his breath catching for a moment.

He probably would’ve bolted out of there had it been standing or something, but as he sneaks a bit closer, he notes the silhouette is draped over the coffee table, motionless. The light that had been illuminating the hallway and room was also there, a small sliver of white light showing. _What the hell?_ Walking into the living room fully, Yata realizes that the figure was none other than Fushimi, laying in front of his mostly closed laptop. _Is that a trend going on here or what?_

Breathing a sigh of relief, Yata let’s out a small, rueful laugh. _And I thought something was wrong._ Well, not that he could say he wasn’t glad that wasn’t the case.

Taking in the sight of Fushimi’s sleeping figure, Yata feels himself relax. It was similar to the last time he had been over, Fushimi’s laptop obviously having been the center of attention along with a number of scattered papers.

Fushimi had fallen asleep using his arms as cushions, his glasses being pushed up weirdly by the angle. It was sort of endearing, Yata had to admit. He hadn’t seen Fushimi make such an innocent face before, looking oddly relaxed compared to the grumpy or just straight up stoic face Yata had gotten used to seeing. _Working too hard, huh?_

Yata may not have been a genius, but he didn’t have to be one to see how hard Fushimi seemed to work. How tired he had looked the morning they got coffee together, the work he’d interrupted the night they first hung out... Thinking about it, Yata couldn’t find it in him to be upset that Fushimi hadn’t come to visit him anymore.

Closing Fushimi’s laptop fully, Yata smiles to himself. “Night, Saruhiko.”

\--

Slowly drifting awake, Fushimi sighs, the bliss of sleep already wearing off. He could immediately make out an obvious discomfort in his limbs, which had undoubtedly fallen asleep along with him at some point. There was also a dull pain in his neck, the angle he fell asleep at creating some new kinks. _Perfect._

It was never smart to fall asleep at the table, he knew that, but he had gotten swept up in one of Munakata’s problems, and was fast asleep before he knew it.

Breathing in a sharp breath, Fushimi groans as he lays still for a moment, silently cursing himself for falling asleep there. He could already hear the irritating sound of birds chirping outside, along with the sound of... breathing?

Sitting up abruptly, Fushimi snaps out of his sleepy daze quickly and finds the source of the sound being just beside him. _A person? There’s a fucking person sleeping in my house._

Fixing the glasses that had ended up askew from his accidental nap, Fushimi hones in on exactly who it was. _No way..._ He thought Yata had invited himself into his house before, but this... this was definitely above that.

He wasn’t exactly sure how to feel about the fact that Yata had somehow managed to get into his house, and decided to for some reason sleep beside him, rather than wake him up. Actually, it didn’t even matter if he didn't wake him up, why was he even there to begin with? _At least he’s being quiet for once._ He was usually a light sleeper, and the fact that he hadn’t woken up with Yata coming in and even going so far as to sleep right _next_ to him, has him a little baffled. _Was I really that tired?_

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi frowns as he watches Yata sleep, deciding exactly what to make of the situation. Reasonably, he knew he should probably be upset, or at least a little more unsettled with the circumstances, but as he watches Yata’s sleeping face, he feels the negative energy drain from him. It probably helped knowing how Yata was, but still, this situation was definitely out of the ordinary.

Yata was laying on the other side of him, his face slack with sleep as he used his beanie for a pillow. It was Fushimi’s first time seeing Yata without it on, and his hair was flat all around where the beanie usually sat, his hair fringing upwards at where it stopped.

Fushimi wondered how it looked when he didn’t have hat hair. Was it always curling up like that? Or was is straight like his was? His hair was vibrant, the sunlight hitting it from the cracks in his blinds. It was bright, just like Yata’s eyes would get when he got excited over something. It was almost too innocent for Fushimi, with how unguarded Yata looked.  Also a little overwhelming.

_Guess I should wake him up._ Reaching forward with the intent of flicking Yata’s forehead, Fushimi stops just before it when he feels something slide off his shoulder.

Tilting his head back, Fushimi notes there’s a red sweater wrapped around his shoulders. It smelled like Yata, and was obviously oversized, but Fushimi couldn’t help but feel a swell of warmth in his chest. _This idiot..._ Did he really look that cold last night? He had to admit he wasn’t as cold as he would’ve expected waking up, his experience in this situation giving him a sort of gage. It was odd waking up like this... waking up like someone had been looking over him.

Glancing back over to Yata, Fushimi takes in the scene in front of him again. Yata didn’t seem cold himself, which was good - not that he cared - and looked to be pretty comfortable, despite the compromising position. He looked smaller than usual, being bunched up like that, his arms folded in his lap as he sat cross legged. He wasn’t sure how one could manage to sleep like that, but Yata seemed to be faring just fine. _He did fall asleep standing up last time too, after all._

Gingerly moving his hand closer to Yata’s bangs, Fushimi pauses just before it and pulls back, breathing in sharply. He could feel his face heat up slightly as he catches himself in the act, not quite believing himself. _What am I doing?_ It was like his body had moved on its own, his hands instinctively wanting to brush the locks from Yata’s face. Shaking his head, Fushimi snaps himself out of it and instead moves his hand a little downwards to poke at Yata’s forehead. “Misaki,” Fushimi says, “Wake up.”

Yata doesn’t so much as stir, snoozing on like a child after having played all day. _He would be a deep sleeper._ Frowning, Fushimi trails down even more, pinching at Yata’s nose. _This should work._

Yata doesn’t wake still, but as he tries to take a breath, his brows furrow, a muffled groan escaping as he tries to move his head. A couple seconds more, and Yata’s eyes shoot open as he pulls up for air. “The hell?!” Yata says, voice groggy with sleep, his voice scratchy and deeper than usual. It... wasn’t exactly unappealing, hearing that. _Tch._

“Misaki,” Fushimi says again, watching with a blank expression as Yata stops looking around, finally focusing on Fushimi’s face, albeit a bit confusedly. “Are you up now?”

Rubbing his eyes, Yata replies, “S-saru? Why are you here?”

_Honestly..._

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Fushimi says, “You’re in _my_ home, remember?”

Taking in his surroundings again, Yata gasps, “Oh shit, that’s right... When the hell did I fall asleep?”

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi’s eyes narrow, “That’s the problem here?”

“Ah, o-oh, sorry...” Yata says, suddenly seeming embarrassed, “I have a good reason, all right! It’s nothing weird or anything, just-”

“-Just you broke into my house, then proceeded to sleep in it.”

“Don’t make it sound so bad! I didn’t _break_ into it!” Yata says, glaring, “Besides, you’re the one who left the damn door open, of course I’d get worried!”

_Left the door open?_ That was odd. He didn’t recall, having been so tired the other day, but it was possible. He wasn’t exactly keen in locking his door either, but leaving it open, that was a first.

Speaking of firsts... this would also be the first time anyone’s actually entered despite how little he actually locked his door. Even if that was the case though, something else was nagging at him, his curiosity getting the better of him. “...What do you mean worried?”

Covering his mouth as if he’d said something he shouldn’t have, Yata averts his gaze.

“What?”

“It’s kind of... lame,” Yata says, scratching the tip of his nose. “You’ll probably laugh at me.”

Of all things to be worried about in the situation, Fushimi was sure that should’ve been at the bottom of the list.

For all Yata knew, Fushimi could’ve attacked him in his sleepy daze, or have called the cops to haul his nosy ass out of there. Instead of worrying about all that though, he was worried about what Fushimi thought of him instead. It was ridiculous, but there Yata was, looking as bashful as ever, fidgeting in his seat.

Feeling the unfamiliar sensation of his stomach doing a little flip, Fushimi has to calm himself down a little before speaking. “I won’t. Besides, I’m pretty sure it can’t get any weirder than waking up to you in my house.”

“Yeah, okay I guess you’re right,” Yata says, wincing as he laughs a little, “Just, I was coming home from work last night when I saw your door was cracked open a little. It really surprised me! Then I was thinking about how you hadn’t come to visit me at work for a few days... so I was worried something bad might’ve happened,” Yata finishes, shrugging. “I’m glad I was wrong, though!”

_He was thinking about that?_ Honestly, he didn’t think Yata was being serious when he’d told him to come over, or at least he hadn’t let himself believe it.

A part of him was always doubting whenever someone showed what seemed to be interest in him. He was sure it was just to be nice, or to get something out of it somehow, but as he listened to Yata’s explanation, he didn’t exactly believe Yata would be someone like that. _He’s too much of an idiot to think that far, anyways._ Someone who was looking to use him wouldn’t have been worried about him... right? Yata looked honestly relieved to see he was okay, after all. He didn’t fully believe it, but a part of him wanted to. Wanted to believe that Yata’s words were genuine, and that he was reading too much into things.

It was like that at school too, his instincts telling him that his club members only talked to him out of pity or the like, only talking to him because they felt bad he had no friends. He didn’t _want_ friends though, but even still, they continued to talk to him, and attempted to get to know him better. It was annoying, but he couldn’t say it was the worst thing to happen, having people seemingly worry about him on occasion. _Just like now..._

He could feel his heartbeat racing with the thought that maybe, Yata was like them, and he would also prove him wrong. He wasn’t a fool though, just because they hadn’t done anything to prove him right yet, didn’t mean they wouldn’t eventually. Even so, Fushimi felt compelled to ask, “If you saw I was okay, then why didn’t you leave?”

Pouting, Yata crosses his arms, “I couldn’t leave you! The door would’ve still been unlocked! What if a stranger broke in or something?”

Yata had said it so matter-of-factly, he couldn’t help the small snort from escaping his lips. _Isn’t that exactly what you did, though?_

“H-hey, you said you wouldn’t laugh, damn it!”

“You could’ve just woken me up, you know,” Fushimi says, quieting down again, “You didn’t have to stay here.”

“I know that, already. I just... You looked so peaceful, I didn’t wanna wake you...” Yata says, before sitting up proudly, “So I decided to watch over you instead! Like a guard or something.”

“... What kind of guard falls asleep in the middle of watching over someone?”

“S-shut up! I was tired too alright?!” Yata says, flushing slightly, “Anyways, it’s fine, right? You’re safe and I got to see you, so it all worked out in the end!”

Feeling that little flop for the second time, Fushimi tries to play it off, “You seriously wanted to see me that badly, huh?”

Mouth agape, Yata's face turns a deeper shade of pink. “Don't say it like that! I-I mean, I did, but it's not like...” Running his hands through his hair Yata pouts. “Just shut the fuck up, okay? It’s your fault for not visiting, jerk!”

“Well, for saving my life... I _guess_ I can visit you sometime.”

Surprisingly, Yata goes quiet for a moment, before glaring. “Quit making fun of me you ass. I can tell you are!”

“Okay then, guess I won’t after all...”

“Hey I didn’t say not to!” Yata says, leaning in closer to Fushimi, face alert. He catches the smirk on Fushimi’s face soon after though, and breaks into laughter. “God you’re so annoying.”

“Speak for yourself, Misaki.”

“Whatever,” Yata says, before getting up to stretch. “Anyways, I’m hungry. How about I fix breakfast?”

Already making his way to the kitchen Fushimi pipes up, “Wait, Misaki that’s-”

“-Yeah, yeah, I know already, your kitchen’s a mess. Don’t worry about it!”

_That’s not what I was trying to tell you, though..._

Hearing the sound of his fridge open, then abruptly shut, Yata makes his way back to the living room. “Okay, and apparently you have no fucking food in this house.”

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi mumbles, “I tried to tell you.”

“Who the hell doesn’t have any food in their fridge?”

“I have a few things.”

“Energy drinks do _not_ count as food,” Yata says, shaking his head, “We’re going to have to do something about that fridge of yours.”

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi replies, “It’s fine, I can just eat take out and-”

“-Seriously, Saru! You really don’t know how to eat healthy at all do you?” Yata says, nose in the air, “You’re lucky you have me to help you!”

This could get annoying quickly. “... Right.”

“Anyways it’s fine for now, I guess that just means it's time for plan B, then,” Yata says, hands on his hips, “Let’s go, Saru!”

Watching as Yata scrambles to get his things together, Fushimi frowns.  “Do I really have to?”

Looking back over at Fushimi, Yata grins. “As someone who saved your life, I think yes.”

\--

Fushimi had managed to somehow talk Yata into giving them some time to get ready before he dragged them wherever he was planning to take them. He had tried making excuses, but as it was, Yata wouldn’t let it slide. Not visiting for three days had certainly made Yata adamant that the two of them hung out that day. It wasn’t like he had anything to do anyways, his homework just about finished this time around. Besides, it was a Sunday and how could he waste it away doing nothing? Or at least, that was how Yata had put it.

They were supposed to meet up again in less than an hour, Yata’s stomach apparently too eager to wait any longer than that. That was fine by Fushimi though, it didn't take him long to get ready anyways, so long as he could sneak a quick shower in and style his hair. He normally didn’t put much thought into what he was wearing, sticking to the usual blues and greys of his wardrobe. Hidaka had pointed out that he always looked so glum in what he had decided to wear, to which Domyouji happily agreed. Luckily for Fushimi though, Domyouji wasn’t exactly a fashionista himself, and the conversation had slipped onto his horrible taste instead.

Settling on a black shirt and grey cardigan, along with a pair of dark jeans, Fushimi finishes styling his hair just as his doorbell rings, alerting him of Yata’s presence. _So he_ can _be on time sometimes._ Making his way to the door Fushimi opens it to the sight of Yata, clad in a black shirt as well, though it was mostly covered by the beige hoodie he wore on top. He was wearing cargo shorts with it, and Fushimi had to wonder how he could wear shorts in such cold weather.

“Ready?” Yata asks.

“Mm.”

Stepping out into the chilly air, Yata smirks at Fushimi as he steps out in front of him. _What now?_ Raising his eyebrows, Fushimi decides to bite. “What?”

“Just don’t forget to lock your door this time, huh, Saruhiko?” Yata says.

_So clever, aren’t we?_

“Hm, are you sure you wouldn’t rather I didn’t? It seemed to benefit you this time around.”

Blushing, Yata bristles. “S-shut up! Just lock your door already, won’t you? I’m starving.”

“Uh huh.”

\--

Yata didn’t expect things to work out so well.

He really didn’t mean to fall asleep in Fushimi’s home like that, but his phone could only keep him entertained for so long as he kept watch over him. He knew he couldn’t just leave Fushimi there either, completely vulnerable with his door unlocked like that! It all worked out in the end though, so it didn’t really matter, right? In fact, things had worked out a lot better than Yata could’ve expected. _If the guys found out I spent the night though, I’d be done for..._ The thought makes him flush red, thinking about all the lewd things his friends were bound to say. _It wasn’t like that, jerks!_

“Misaki,” Fushimi says, pulling Yata from his thoughts, “Where are we going?”

“O-oh! Right,” Yata says, coughing lightly, “Isn’t it obvious? We’re getting breakfast since your weird ass doesn’t own any food!”

He receives a pout for that. _C-cute..._

“ _Where_ are we going, Misaki.”

Peering at Fushimi, Yata grins. “To the best place to eat, of course!”

\--

When they arrived at Cafe Homra, Yata couldn’t tell if Fushimi was making that face because he couldn’t believe he had just been dragged there, or because he should’ve seen it coming. Maybe both.

“Don’t make that face, Saru,” Yata says, frowning, “Cafe Homra is great, and it’s nearby!”

“Weren’t you just here yesterday, though?”

“Yeah, so what?”

Shrugging, Fushimi follows Yata as they walk towards the door. “Just thinking that most people wouldn’t return to work on a day their off. Or at least, normal people anyways...”

“I think the least normal one here is _you_! Who doesn’t have any food in their fridge? Like seriously...”

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi scowls. “Are you always going to bring that up?”

“Heh, probably.”

Pulling the door open, Yata makes his way inside, Fushimi following after him. Hearing the sound of the bells chime, Yata hears a few familiar voices welcome them. “Welcome to Cafe Homra!”

“Yo!” Yata says, grin wide.

“Oh, Yata-chan,” Kusanagi says, returning the smile, “Welcome back.”

“Yata-san!” Kamamoto chimes.

“Morning guys!”

“The chihuahua’s here?” A voice calls from the back, not that Yata didn’t already know who it was. _Jerk._ Popping out from the back room, Chitose leans on the counter, “Well, well, how’d it go with your guy? ”

“W-what-”

“-Oh right, Yata-san! Did you manage to ask him out?” Kamamoto says, voice booming.

For once, Yata actually minded the volume.

“He wasn’t going to ask him out, Kamamoto,” Chitose says, waving a hand in the air, “Well, not yet anyways.”

“Ask him out?” Bandou says, out of the loop, “What are we talking about now?”

“Yata’s got a man,” Chitose says, elbowing him, “You should’ve seen him freaking out yesterday, actually.”

“Seriously?! Why does all the good stuff happen when I’m out...”

Yata can feel his face already burning, hot embarrassment taking over as his friends talked about Fushimi with him standing _right_ fucking there. _Are these guys blind or what?!_ Maybe Fushimi hadn’t noticed...

“A-anyways!” Yata says, stealing a glance at Fushimi, whose brows were raised in what Yata assumed to be curiosity. _Shit, he totally knows!_ Clearing his throat, Yata pipes up in an attempt to derail the conversation. “Can we get something to eat? I’m _super_ hungry!” Adding emphasis to his words and pointing his thumb behind him, Yata watches his friends faces turn into knowing looks. Their gazes land on Fushimi who had been inconspicuously standing behind Yata, taking him in, before looking back to Yata.

Smirking immediately, Chitose puts a hand on his hip. “Oh? Looks like it went we-”

“-Sure thing, Yata-chan,” Kusanagi says, purposely cutting Chitose off, “What would you two like?”

_Thank God!_ What had Yata done to deserve Kusanagi in his life?

“I’ll just have a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, with a pineapple juice,” Yata says, before glancing back at Fushimi, “What about you, Saru?”

Taking a step forward, Fushimi frowns. “I can get it for myself.”

“What? It’s fine!” Yata says, “It’s no big deal.”

“Why would you pay for me?” Fushimi asks, eyes moving from the menu to meet Yata’s gaze, “I have my own money.”

_Seriously?_

“I have a discount, remember? Besides, I’m the one who asked you out, so of course I’m gonna pay! Stop making things so complicated.”

“‘Asked out’, huh...” Chitose says, to which Yata tries to pay no mind, face heating up slightly.

“Kusanagi-san, just get him the same thing as me then.”

“Oi, Misaki what are you-”

“-It’s fine, alright?” Yata says, smiling, “I got this, Saruhiko!”

Watching Yata for a few seconds more, Fushimi clicks his tongue, “Fine. Do what you want.”

“RIght! Oh, and Kusanagi can you add a medium coffee to that? Not that I’d actually call that _coffee,_ though...”

“Misaki.”

“S-sorry!”

“Okay, Yata-chan, what’s the drink?” Kusanagi says, pulling out a plastic cup from the nearby stack.

Sighing Yata resigns himself to ordering what is probably the most ridiculous thing in existence.

\--

It was almost comical, watching Kusanagi’s reaction as Yata recited Fushimi’s drink. Or at least, had tried to. It had been a few days since he’d made it, so it wasn’t his fault he had forgotten. Fushimi had other ideas though, and promptly called Yata an idiot after having to tell him to shut up so he could order the correct drink himself. He didn’t know what the big deal was, it wasn’t like it would actually serve him any purpose considering the obvious lack of caffeine in it.

It was kind of ridiculous how interested his friends were in how things were going, Yata had to admit. It... might not have been a good idea to bring Fushimi here so soon after all, but Cafe Homra was always his go to place!

After Kusanagi had taken their orders, Chitose had told them to go sit down so he could bring his food over to them. That in itself was strange, considering they didn’t order any actual meal and just sandwiches, meaning they could’ve just gave it to them then and there. He tried to give his friend the benefit of the doubt though, and listened to him, thinking he might’ve just been trying to be serviceable.

Yata should’ve known it was just for Chitose to get a chance to snoop on them and get some teasing in, though. Chitose had come up to their table numerous times to ask how things were, or if they needed anything, to which Yata had to keep shooing him away. He was never that helpful when it was just Yata eating there, which kind of pissed him off. It was embarrassing as hell too, the asshole having no qualms in making Yata bristle in embarrassment. When he first came over to hand them their sandwiches, Chitose had even called him ‘Misaki’ in a sing song voice, immediately earning him a scowl and some soon to be fulfilled threats in getting his ass beat from Yata.

He wasn’t the only problem though, Kamamoto being no better with how obviously happy he looked seeing the two of them together, and giving Yata a thumbs up whenever he got the chance. Bandou was also there, looking at them with a disbelieving look while Chitose undoubtedly filled him in on the new work gossip. They were seriously blowing things out of proportion, and it was starting to get on Yata’s nerves. _Fucking kill me..._

Fushimi didn’t seem to notice though, or at least he didn’t say anything about it. He hoped he hadn’t noticed, but really, there was no way he _hadn’t_. His friends could be helpful, but they could also be painfully obvious. Either way, he wanted to get out of there quickly before they did something even more embarrassing, or worse, have Eric show up for his shift while they were there. He would definitely be the worst one out of all of them, and Yata didn’t even think Kusanagi could save him in time.

He was glad he had managed to seat the two of them outside though, giving them some semblance of privacy. Chitose could only make so many excuses for going out there before Kusanagi managed to reel him back in permanently, so there was that at least.

Finishing up his sandwich and juice, Yata looks up to Fushimi who had been playing on his phone. Yata had tried to make conversation, but with his friends constantly getting in the way, he decided it might be better to keep his mouth shut for the time being. “Saru, are you finished?”

Looking up from his phone, Fushimi nods.

Smiling, Yata stands from his seat. “Great, I’ve got somewhere else to go next!”

\--

Fushimi didn’t know why he hadn’t told Yata he wanted to go home after they had gotten something to eat. It was just... kind of hard to get a word in when Yata was prattling along so happily like that. He didn’t even know _where_ they were going, which wasn’t really a shock though, considering Yata seemed to have a thing for surprises.

He had to admit, the food at Cafe Homra wasn’t bad, and he didn’t exactly have a bad time while he was there with Yata. It was just sort of an odd experience, with the way his friends were acting. Yata seemed embarrassed the majority of time, face flushed as he ate his food relatively quietly. He even refused to make eye contact with him at some points, which left Fushimi feeling a little baffled. Yata never had a problem with it before, always facing him head on as he spoke with his usual cheer. This time around though, he was a lot more tame. It probably had to do with his friends and how they seemed way too enthusiastic when they’d realized they were hanging out together. It was unusual, but Fushimi decided to ignore it. Who cared what Yata’s friends thought of the two of them? They were only hanging out because Yata had dragged him there, and nothing else.

Fortunately, the place in question was in a familiar area, but it wasn’t a place Fushimi came to often. He had only been there a few times before, all of which were due to some annoying club activities Munakata had forced him and the other members into. He didn’t want to think back to that though, the memory of his club leader singing a painfully boring song at karaoke while the rest of them watched in awkward silence.

“We’re here!” Yata announces, running ahead of Fushimi to said store.

Fushimi had never paid any mind to it before, but he did recognize it. It was a store full of kitchenware, the front window showing off some of the aprons and utensils they carried. Most of the things in the window were pink and red in character, hearts being a main part of the design for many of the items. That was another thing Fushimi didn’t pay any mind to: Valentine’s Day. It wasn’t even for another month and there was already stuff out for it. It was exhausting, and annoying, the whole thing. It wasn’t even a real holiday really, it was just something people used as an okay to go around flaunting their desperation and obvious need for attention. It wasn’t a place he had ever planned on entering, especially at this time of year, but as Yata pulls the door open, he finds himself walking in anyways.

The woman inside who greeted them was overly friendly for Fushimi’s taste, but as she welcomed Yata into the store, he immediately caught onto his sudden bashfulness. _Who would’ve thought, hm?_ To think someone as bold and outgoing as Yata could be weak to something so simple. He’d be sure to bring that up the next time Yata brought up his lack of food, that was for sure.

It was entertaining to watch Yata squirm under her gaze, face red as he tried to avoid eye contact. She had been badgering Yata for way too long about a potential girlfriend though, asking him what kinds of desserts she liked, her favorite flowers. It was funny at first, Yata insisting that he didn’t have one, but it got annoying after awhile, the questions beginning to irritate Fushimi somehow. These sales people always lingered for far longer than Fushimi ever deemed necessary too, her enthusiasm for the upcoming holiday making it too much to bear. Not to mention that toothy grin of hers was obviously forced, and was nowhere near as genuine as the ones Yata flashed him. _Wait what?_

Watching as the lady finally backs off, Fushimi asks what’s been bugging him since they’d walked in, “Why are we here, Misaki?”

He really had no interest in things like this, if he had to be honest. But maybe Yata really did have a girlfriend and had dragged him along with for some reason. It wasn’t Fushimi’s ideal situation, and the thought weighed heavy on him. _I should’ve went home._

“Ah, sorry, should we not have come here?” Yata says, expression falling, “I guess this sort of thing isn’t for everyone...”

Feeling his heart tug at Yata’s face, Fushimi feels himself give in. _Tch_. “... It’s fine,” Fushimi mumbles, to which Yata’s face brightens up again immediately, “Did you really drag me here to look at stuff for Valentine’s Day? Who would’ve thought you were so romantic...” Even as he said it, Fushimi didn’t find it to be particularly funny. Why should he have to tag along while Yata looked for something for a girl he liked? It left a sour taste in his mouth, thinking about it.

“E-eh? No way! I already told that lady I’m not here for some girl, it’s just a coincidence!” Yata says, sputtering, “I just needed to pick up some things, alright? Besides, I also thought you could learn a thing or two about proper kitchen materials, is all.”

For such an idiot, Yata could be pretty snarky himself too sometimes.

“If you think I need help, why not get that nice lady for me? I’m sure she’d be a big help...”

“Wha-” Yata says, turning to face Fushimi. “What are you bringing her up for all of a sudden?”

“No reason, it just looked like you were having such a great time talking to her, is all. No one would’ve noticed all the stuttering with how well you two got along.”

“You seriously are an ass, you know that?!” Yata says, face red, “I can talk to girls just fine! Besides if I were to give someone something for Valentine’s it wouldn’t be for a gi-” Suddenly, Yata goes quiet, tensing as he looks at Fushimi, face red as can be.

It was contagious it seemed, Yata’s embarrassment somehow affecting him too. He could feel his face heat up at the unfinished sentence, his mind finishing it for him. He didn’t know why it mattered so much, if Yata was implying he wasn’t into girls - which it seemed like he was.There were plenty of gay guys out there, and it never mattered to him before. _This is ridiculous._

It made sense though, with what his friend had said earlier at the cafe, that Yata had a man. It was irritating to think of, if it were really true, but Fushimi couldn’t find it in him to ask, his hesitance leaving it at that. He didn’t see why he’d need to know anyways...

They stare at each other silently for a few moments, the mutual embarrassment leaving them speechless. It wasn’t like Fushimi didn’t understand Yata’s shyness about it though, as he didn’t exactly go around telling people his sexual orientation either, not that he’d ever really had to. He didn’t want Yata to think he was judging him for it though, and feels himself speaking up without really meaning to. “Well... it’s fine,” Fushimi mumbles, “It’s the same for me.”

As expected, it only made things all the more embarrassing, Yata’s eyes widening as he catches Fushimi’s words. It was kind of cute, seeing the way Yata looked almost relieved, and maybe even hopeful?

Clearing his throat, Yata looks away, a small smile on his face. “O-oh, I see...” Yata says, “Cool. Heh, yeah...”

Fushimi isn’t too sure what to make of that reaction, but decides to leave it at that. He didn’t exactly want to get into a conversation like this in public after all, and he’d already said enough as it was. Yata seemed to have the same sentiments though, rubbing the back of his neck as he turns back around, strolling down the aisles. “A-anyways, this store is really cool, I think you’ll find something interesting here too if you look around!”

Feeling the embarrassment fade, Fushimi smiles to himself, the atmosphere already returning to normal. It felt a lot better like this, with the awkwardness out of the way. “Hm,” Fushimi hums, playing with one of the aprons. “You know, this is almost all baking ware, Misaki. I don’t think this applies to me.”

“Hah? Don’t be ridiculous. Anyone can get into baking, it’s awesome!”

_Somehow,_ _I doubt that._ Yata was only able to say that because he wasn’t aware of how absolutely horrid Fushimi was when it came to cooking. “I don’t think that’s true.”

“Yeah, yeah, I knew you’d say that. I used to think the same thing as you though, that baking was kinda lame. I was more into cooking _real_ food, you know,” Misaki says, stopping in front of a few baking sheets. “Well, until I met Mikoto-san, that is!”

_Mikoto-san?_ There was that name again, the one Yata had mentioned when he’d first barged into Fushimi’s house. He did recall Yata saying that this Mikoto character had taught him how to make that cake they ate, now that Yata mentioned it. “Is he some baker or something?”

Turning to face Fushimi, Yata’s eyes are wide with disbelief. “Do you seriously not know?!” Yata says, moving over to Fushimi. “Mikoto-san, you know! Cafe Homra?”

Raising his eyebrows, Fushimi just stares. What exactly was he supposed to do with those pieces of information? If you could even call it that. Figuring Yata would supply the answer himself soon enough, Fushimi watches as Yata sighs, albeit a bit exaggeratedly. “Come on, Saruhiko, he works at the cafe!” Yata says holding up his pointer finger, as if he were all-knowing. “Kusanagi owns the place, but Mikoto-san works as a pastry chef there! Not as a normal pastry chef though, like - a fucking _awesome_ one.” Yata says, throwing his arms in the air, eyes glowing with excitement.

Fushimi didn’t see how someone could be an ‘awesome’ baker. Didn’t they all just make cookies and cakes, and what not? It wasn’t too impressive, at least in Fushimi’s eyes, even if he couldn’t really cook himself. If he put the time and effort into it, surely he could be as amazing of a pastry chef as this Mikoto Yata spoke so highly of. Shrugging, Fushimi replies, “I’ve never seen or heard of him... What about him is so special?”

“Well for one he’s totally different from most bakers!” Yata says, “He makes crazy cakes, like _crazy_! They’re super tall and just really incredible! He’s actually pretty famous in the baking world too, it’s super cool! Not to mention he’s been in a lot of competitions. I went to watch one once, it was so awesome,” Yata says, voice fond. Turning back to the sheets in front of him, Yata continues, “It really inspired me I guess, watching that. I didn’t really have an interest in baking, but me and the gang decided to go watch - to be supportive and what not. It really took my breath away though, how intense something like baking could be.”

It was weird, hearing Yata sound so serious about something. Fushimi had gotten used to the upbeat and bubbly personality Yata always seem to wear, but seeing him talk about Mikoto and baking, and how much he obviously cared about both of those things, had Fushimi feeling like his heart was being tugged at.

Apparently, Mikoto had entered competitions often, and after winning so many, had begun to gain popularity. He traveled around a lot because of said competitions, along with his partner in crime, Totsuka.

According to Yata, there were a variety of competitions one could enter, ranging from cupcake competitions - which sounded a bit lame, if Fushimi were being honest - to sugar sculpture competitions.

The ones Mikoto tended to focus on were usually cake building competitions, which wasn’t a surprise. At first, Fushimi just assumed Yata meant they would build over glorified wedding cakes, but as he began to explain some of the competitions he’d actually attended, he was surprised at how intense they sounded. He wasn’t sure if that was because they really _were_ that intense, or if Yata just had a habit of making everything sound more exciting than it really was. _Probably both..._

In the particular competition Yata had mentioned, there was usually a group of six or so competitors, each having their own team who would work together with their leaders to make giant, crazy cakes. The judges would announce a theme that the teams had no previous knowledge of, making the challenge more difficult. They were meant to design and create a cake that would fit under that theme in a certain amount of time and then actually build it as the audience watched, along with the panel of judges.

“There were a lot of other bakers there, but Mikoto-san didn’t bat an eye!” Yata says, enthusiastically, reliving the memory, “And one time this team’s entire cake fell apart, and you could hear the whole audience gasp in surprise! Oh, but that’s never happened to Mikoto-san and Totsuka-san though, they’re a real team.”

Humming, Fushimi pipes up, “So you want to be like him, then?’

It was obvious, but Fushimi still felt like he had to ask. He never really had anyone he looked up to, but hearing Yata talk about Mikoto so happily made him feel like he almost wished he did.

Blushing slightly, Yata rubs the back of his head, “Well, yeah... I have a long way to go, though. It’s just, Mikoto-san always looks so serious, but when he’s baking like that, it’s almost like he becomes another person. It just got me to thinking that I’d like to have fun like that too,” Yata says, smiling, “That’s why I decided to study under him, and decided I wanted to be a baker too!”

Watching Yata’s expression, Fushimi feels himself drown in it. It was so bright, and open, he felt like he had to look away. To find someone who could inspire you so much... Fushimi didn’t think there would ever be someone like that in his life. He just went to school and got what he needed to do done, and that was about it. Yet here was Yata, chasing his dream head on and at full speed, without a care in the world. He didn’t know what to say, when he had nothing like that in comparison. Fushimi wasn’t sure what the feeling that was brewing in him was called, but as he mulled over it for a split second, Yata perks up.

“Oh, wait a sec, I just remembered something I needed to grab real quick before I forget!”

Snapping himself out of it, Fushimi replies slyly, “I didn’t know they sold sugar here, Misaki.”

“S-shut up, it’s not that!” Running off before Fushimi has a chance to say anything else, Yata leaves him in the aisle by himself. The store was decently sized though, and Fushimi wasn’t exactly keen on going on a search mission. _He’ll probably come running back soon anyways._

Taking a look around, Fushimi’s eyes dance over the numerous baking goods. Most of it looked familiar - not that he’d ever used it himself, but there were also a few items he didn’t recognize. He could only imagine what so many gadgets could be used for, Fushimi’s mind wandering back to Yata’s explanation of the competitions. Maybe Mikoto and Totsuka used some of these things too?

He only managed to browse curiously for a few minutes, before he hears the sound of footsteps. The sound draws nearer and Fushimi eyes the corner of the aisle, expecting Yata to appear. “Took you long enough, Misa-” Watching as a figure turns the corner, Fushimi’s sentence stops short. _What the..._

“... Fushimi-san?”

What were the odds.

Well, thinking about it now, maybe the chances weren’t as low as Fushimi would’ve hoped. After all, the reason why he was so familiar with this area _was_ because of his club in the end.

“... Hello, Akiyama,” Fushimi mumbles.

“What a surprise!” Akiyama says, moving forward, “I didn’t think you came to places like this, Fushimi-san.”

He didn’t, but what did it matter at this point?

“I guess,” Fushimi says, shrugging. “I could say the same to you, though.”

Letting out a short laugh, Akiyama smiles, “Well, I was sort of dragged into it, to be honest. Domyouji wanted some cake so we headed over to Kamo’s restaurant, but he made us run some errands for him here first. I guess Domyouji had done something recently and owed him a favor so... here I am.”

Well, looked like he wasn’t the only one being dragged around today. Hearing Akiyama’s story left him with a feeling of mutual sympathy, but it also bothered him. “... Does that mean Domyouji is here as well?” Fushimi asks, dreading the answer.

“Oh, yeah! He’s around here somewhere, but I lost him a few minutes ago.”

As if on cue, the sound of loud chatter cuts into their conversation, their heads turning to the direction it was coming from. It sounded to be coming from a few aisles down, and Fushimi didn’t have to look to know who it was that was doing the talking, the familiar voice booming through the store.

“-Right?! Isn’t cake the best?” The voice chimed happily, only to be joined by another familiar voice, sounding just as enthusiastic.

“Hell yeah it is!” The voice says, “I’m glad someone here has good taste.”

Meeting Fushimi’s gaze again, Akiyama points to the voices, “Well, looks like we know where he is now.”

There was no way they couldn’t know, with how loud they were being. It was obvious who Domyouji had bumped into, but Fushimi didn’t want to believe it. They were apparently getting along as well, bonding over cake too, of all things. It somehow made Fushimi’s stomach stir, the feeling of something bad being bound to happen taking over his senses.

His mind immediately raced back to a few days ago, when he had stupidly told his club members about Yata. He didn’t think they’d ever actually _meet_ him, and though they didn’t know who he was, Fushimi knew it wouldn’t be hard to guess. The only people he ever hung out with outside of school was his club mates, and yet here he was, with someone who obviously wasn’t one of them.

Fushimi didn’t want them to meet - couldn’t let them meet. It would be the beginning of absolute torture, he could smell it. Trying to somehow prevent the event from happening, Fushimi pipes up, “Akiya-”

“Domyouji!” Akiyama calls suddenly, voice raising, “I’m over here! We need to go soon or Kamo will be upset.”

“Oh!” Domyouji says, interrupting whatever Yata was blabbing about, “Sorry, I gotta catch up to my friend!”

“Ah, it’s fine, so do I, actually!”

All too soon, the sound of footsteps begins to fill Fushimi’s ears. The earlier conversation picks up where it left off soon enough too, the duo probably having realized they were heading in the same direction. He didn’t know what to do, with Akiyama standing there along with Domyouji and Yata heading in their direction. Fushimi hadn’t moved much from where Yata had left him earlier, and was probably walking this way to check if he was still there. _I need to get out of here._

“Sorry Fushimi-san,” Akiyama says, looking apologetic, “What was it you were going to say? I didn’t mean to cut you off.”

_Tch._ It was too late for an apology now, any minute now Yata would be there and he was just standing there like an idiot. “It’s fine,” Fushimi says, already moving to turn around, “I have to go anyways.”

“Saruhiko!” Yata’s voice calls, noticeably closer than before, “You over there?”

“Eh? Fushimi-san, could it be you’re here with someone?” Akiyama asks, slightly surprised.

Leave it to Yata to blow his cover just as he was about to escape.

Fushimi can hear Domyouji’s small gasp too, apparently having caught onto the same idea. “... ‘Saruhiko’? Wait, you don’t mean-”

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps stops, and the voice is right behind him. “There you are, Saru! You seriously didn’t move far at all,” Yata says, laughing lightly.

_This can’t be happening..._

Walking up to him, Yata gives him that big, toothy grin, completely unaware of Fushimi’s current predicament. It wasn’t a look he disliked - at all - but in that moment, it felt like it was mocking him. On the other hand, Domyouji had also moved closer, now standing next to Akiyama, the two of them watching him and Yata interact. If Fushimi wasn’t so at a loss with the current situation, the shocked look on both of their faces would’ve been idiotic enough to laugh at.

Opening their mouths simultaneously, the two of them utter out one single word: _“‘Saruhiko’?!”_

Ah yes, this was happening and how Fushimi wish it weren’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Saru when will my baby catch a break. This chapter just sorta became a whole bunch of things thrown into one but I hope it was still entertaining to read! The next chapter will indeed be Valentine's Day related oho so that should be fun >:) it probably won't be out in time for the actual holiday tho but let's just ignore that for now lol...
> 
> Anyways thanks so much for reading! This chapter is my longest one so far so hopefully that wasn't a problem;; Any comments would be a appreciated <3 Also! Thanks to Lucy for reading this over for me ^^


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a month late but here's a sort of Valentine's Day chapter! Hope you guys enjoy~ Thanks to Lucy for reading this over for me as always ^o^

Walking down the busy street, Yata can’t help the big grin he knows is on his face. He probably looked like an idiot - the few stares people had given him as he walked by only proving that theory - but somehow, he couldn’t find it in him to care. It was weird, feeling so upbeat, but he couldn’t say it was unwelcome.

He got some trouble for his good mood at work too, his friends jabbing and teasing him about it all throughout his shifts during the week, but even then his mood didn’t falter. Not even Chitose, who had made every effort he could to try and mess with him, could rain on his parade. _Heh, showed him!_ How could he be in a bad mood, anyways? Not when things went so well last week.

\--

_“‘_ Saruhiko _?!’” The two men said in unison, shock clearly in their voices._

_Yata had no idea what was going on._

_One minute, he was talking to this guy about cakes, then the next minute he was being gawked at by two strangers like he was a ghost or something._ The hell are these guys’ problem?

_Taking in the scene in front of him, there were two guys –_ tall _guys, Yata noted – standing next to each other while they stared at him. One had dark hair, with crazy bangs that covered one of his eyes. It was an interesting look, but Yata couldn’t understand how one could see anything like that. The other man was the one he had talked to briefly, his hair a bright orange and wavy. He seemed all right from the short conversation they had, but with him staring at him the way he was now, Yata was starting to feel a little weirded out._

_Quirking an eyebrow, Yata tries to ignore the looks of disbelief he was getting, to instead look over to Fushimi, who had a more exasperated expression than anything. “Saru, you know these guys?”_

_“’Saru.’” The red head guy whispers not-so-quietly to the dark-haired man, nudging him with his elbow. The guy doesn’t even move his gaze from Yata as he does so, only managing a slow nod in response._

Uh… alright, then.

_Pinching the bridge of his nose, Fushimi sighs, before meeting Yata’s gaze. “They’re my-“_

_“-Friends!” The redhead says, to which Fushimi glares._

_“_ Clubmates _, I think you mean.”_

_“Don’t be like that Fushimi-san!” The man continues, seemingly unfazed by the venom in Fushimi’s voice, “I’m Domyouji Andy! But you can call me Andy, if you want. Nice meetin’ ya!”_

_“Ah, I’m Akiyama Himori.” The other man says, snapping out of it, offering a slight bow, “Nice to meet you.”_

_“Oh,” Yata says, looking between the two of them, “I’m Yata, nice to meet you guys too.”_

_“Just Yata?” Akiyama says, curious, “What about your first name?”_

_“Now that you mention it, Fushimi didn’t say what his first name was either...” Domyouji says, putting his finger to his chin._

_“Oh, you’re right. I wonder why that is…”_

Huh?

_Clicking his tongue, Fushimi throws Yata a quick glance before he cuts into their conversation, irritation obviously growing, “Can’t you two shut_ up _.”_

_“What?” Domyouji says, looking perplexed “You don’t have to be so rude, you know!”_

_“You talk too much.”_

_“I’ve barely said anything!”_

_“You’ve said more than enough.”_

_“Wait…” Yata says, lips pursed, “You mean… Saruhiko mentioned me?”_

_Yata couldn’t be sure, considering he didn’t really think Fushimi would be one to talk about things like this with his friends, but with the way the conversation was going, it definitely seemed that way._

_Without meaning to, Yata gets his hopes up, waiting for the answer. If… If Fushimi really talked about him to his friends, wouldn’t that mean he cared about him too? Just a little? Gulping, Yata watches as Domyouji opens his mouth, only for Fushimi to cut in again, “Misaki, we’re leaving.” Pulling Yata by the shoulder, Fushimi tries turning him around when Yata hears a hum._

_“Hm… so you’re name’s ‘Misaki’ then!” Domyouji chimes, a wide grin on his face, “Why didn’t you say so sooner, Fushimi-san!”_

_“Domyouji…” Looking slightly worried, Akiyama shifts on his feet. “Don’t push your luck.”_

_“What? Isn’t it normal to learn each other’s name when introducing yourselves?” Domyouji says, shrugging it off, “Nice to finally meet you, Yata-san! We’ve heard all about you from Fushimi-san.”_

_Face heating up, Yata’s eyes widen._ He really did talk about me then! _It was almost unbelievable, but hearing that, Yata feels butterflies form in his stomach._ About me… Saruhiko, he… _Yata’s happiness is short-lived though, as he notices a sort of tension beginning to fill the air._

_Closing his eyes, Akiyama shakes his head, apparently expecting something to happen._

_“Domyouji,” Fushimi says, voice strained, “anymore, and you’ll regret it.”_

_“Fine, fine!” Domyouji says, throwing his hands up in surrender, “Yata-san, you’re a friend of Fushimi-san’s right?”_

Friends… _Well, Yata wanted things to be that way, but with the way Fushimi reacted when Domyouji had called them that, he wasn’t so sure it was a good idea to do the same. “Ah, we’re just neighbors… I guess…” Yata says, shrugging, “Why?”_

_“We’re having a small Valentine’s Day party for our club, you should totally come!”_

_“A party?” Yata asks. It wasn’t like he really partied, unless you counted drunk hangouts with his friends at the café. But… Fushimi had called them his club members, which meant he’d also be there, right? Plus, if Yata were being honest, he was kind of interested of what this ‘club’ consisted of. Not to mention it’d give Yata a better glimpse into Fushimi’s life, his level curiosity in that area seeming to double over as he thought about it. It sounded like a good idea, honestly. He wanted to learn more about Fushimi, so there was no harm in going._ Maybe, then…

_“No way,” Fushimi says, taking a step forward, “Do you not understand what shut up means?”_

_Putting a hand on Domyouji’s shoulder, Akiyama pipes up. “Domyouji, I think you should stop.”_

_“What’s wrong with inviting him? The Captain said to invite friends, so why not?”_

_“That’s true, but…”_

_“Plus, you guys could totally cater!” Domyouji says, voice excited, “You said you worked at a café, right, Yata-san?”_

Ah, right. _He did say that when they were talking about cake before, but he had totally forgotten until then. Catering though… it would be a great opportunity. Yata had been dying to try out his newly acquired baking skills, and Kusanagi was always one for business. It’d be a little difficult with some of the crew being gone with Mikoto-san and all, but he was sure they could manage._ I don’t see why not then!

_“Domyouji, I said to shut up. There’s no way he’s coming to-“_

_“-That would be awesome!” Yata says, cutting Fushimi off on accident. He may have gotten a little too excited. “Eh? Why can’t I go, Saruhiko?” Feeling himself deflate, Yata feels disappointment set in. If Fushimi didn’t want him there, then there wasn’t really anything he could do about it. He mainly wanted to go to be with Fushimi, good business opportunities aside. He didn’t really want to make Fushimi feel awkward about it either, seeing as to how he didn’t really seem pleased with all of them meeting, now that he was thinking about it. “Do you… not want me to go?”_

_Fushimi looks over him for a few moments, before averting his eyes, “… Whatever, do what you want.” Fushimi mutters, pouting._

He really is cute when he pouts like that… _Internally kicking himself, Yata forces himself to focus on the situation. “Awesome, thanks, Saru!”_

_“There’s nothing to thank me for, idiot.”_

_“Heh, still, if you told me you didn’t want me to come… that would’ve really sucked.”_

_Clicking his tongue, Fushimi mumbles something so low, that Yata had barely caught it, “I never said I didn’t want you to come.”_

_“Eh?”_

D-Did he just…?

_Apparently unaware of what Fushimi had just said, Domyouji claps his hands, pleased with himself, “Great, now that that’s settled, I’ll need your number.”_

_“O-oh, right,” Yata says, before snapping out of it, “Wait, what?”_

_Looking confused, Domyouji raises an eyebrow, “I need your number if I’m gonna tell you the rest of the details.”_

_“Can’t Fushimi-san do that for you, Domyouji?” Akiyama asks._

_“I don’t know…” Domyouji says, skeptical, “How can I trust him to not sabotage the party? He didn’t look like he wanted Yata-san to go before…”_

_“He said it was fine, didn’t he?”_

_Narrowing his gaze, Domyouji goes silent for a second, seemingly contemplating his options. “Hm, what do you think, Yata-san?”_

_“M-me? Um…”_ This guy sure is a handful _. He didn’t mind having to ask Fushimi about the party, in fact, he welcomed it. If anything, it’d give him more of a reason to talk to Fushimi, though he didn’t really want to bother him with it either… “Well, I’ll give you my number just in case, but I’ll ask Saru first if I have any questions, yeah?”_

_“Awesome!” Domyouji says, pulling out his phone to give to Yata, “Just put your number in and I’ll send you a text so you have mine too.”_

_“Ah, sure.” Taking the phone, Yata types in his number. It kind of reminded Yata of what Kusanagi brought up the other day, about contacting Fushimi. He still didn’t manage to ask Fushimi for his number either._ Maybe now’s the right time… _Glancing over to Fushimi, Yata pipes, up trying to act casual, “Oi, Saru… gimme your number too.”_

_“Hah? Why should I?”_

_“The hell, it’s for the party, obviously!”_

_“Tch, isn’t that why you’re exchanging numbers with Domyouji? Leave me out of it.”_

He’s seriously… _Yata wasn’t sure if Fushimi was acting up more because his friends were around, or if he was just being difficult as always. If Yata had been asking for Fushimi’s number a few days ago and had gotten this response, he would’ve been pretty discouraged, but now, he found himself giving Fushimi a taste of his own medicine._ Let’s see how you like it then!

_“Fine then, I guess I’ll just come over_ every _single time I have a question and we can talk about it in person instead.” Yata says, shrugging, “Either way works for me.”_

_That seems to do the trick, Fushimi already rising to the bait, “Misaki… you,” He starts, only to pause for a moment, a smirk gracing his features. Yata suddenly had a bad feeling about acting out the way he did… “Hm, you just want my number, don’t you, Misaki? Why didn’t you just say so.”_

_“W-what! I never said that!” Yata sputters, face red._ W-was I that obvious? _Well, not like he was very discreet in how much he had been wanting to hang out with Fushimi, but he thought he did well with asking for his number, at least._

_“If you tell the truth, I might think about it.” Fushimi says, not even batting an eye._

_“You’re a pain in the ass, damn it. I’m not admitting anything!”_

_“Oh? Well, that’s fine, I just won’t give you my number then.”_

_“Like I care, I’ll just come over whenever I want!”_

_“Go ahead and try, I’m not letting you in.”_

_“Not like you lock the fucking door_ anyways _, smart ass.”_

_“And how unfortunate for you that I might just start.”_

_“U-uh you guys…” Akiyama says, putting his hand up, “Calm down a little, you’re going to cause a disturbance.”_

_“I think it’s funny.” Domyouji says, laughing._

_“Domyouji…”_

_“I’m not doing anything,” Fushimi says, completely unconcerned, “Blame him for being so loud.”_

_Bristling, Yata moves closer to Fushimi, “Yeah? Well blame yourself for being such an ass!”_

_“You’re the one who won’t admit the truth.”_

_“I-I have nothing to admit!”_

_It’s then that they hear a throat clearing from behind them, though it somehow managed to sound threatening in a way. It reminded Yata of his school days when he’d get too rowdy in the library, the librarian subtly telling him to quiet down. Looking to where the noise came from, Yata sees it’s the same girl who welcomed them upon entering, a forced smile on her face. “Excuse me sirs, but would you mind quieting down? You’re disturbing our other customers.”_

Shit.

_Immediately, Yata feels his face heat up, “S-sorry about that!” He says, bowing slightly, “We didn’t mean to be so loud, just uh- Oi, Saru, you apologize too!”_

_“Me? It’s not my fault you can’t keep quiet.”_

_“Seriously? Can’t you admit when you’re wrong?”_

_“Says the one who can’t admit to wanting someone’s number.”_

Does he really have to bring that up now?!

_Snapping up from his bent position, Yata surges forward, annoyance taking over, “W-why you-!”_

“-Sirs _,” The lady says, voice stern, “I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Now.”_

_\--_

_“Ah, you guys really got us kicked out!” Domyouji says, sounding far too entertained with the current situation, “I didn’t think it’d actually happen.”_

_They were currently walking down the street, all of them feeling like scolded children. All of them aside from Domyouji that is, who was still somehow in high spirits despite it all._

_Clicking his tongue, Fushimi glares at Domyouji, “And why do you sound so happy about that?”_

_“I always go to that store…” Yata says, sounding completely devastated, “What if she never lets me back in?!”_

_“You only have yourself to blame for that, Misaki.”_

_“What the hell was that?!”_

_“W-well, at least she let us buy our things beforehand! That’s probably a good sign, right?” Akiyama says, trying to change the flow of the conversation, “If she didn’t want you back she would’ve said so.”_

_Pouting a little, Yata nods. “I guess you’re right…”_

_It made sense, at least. He was a loyal customer, so there was no way they’d ban him after some small blunder, right?_

…Right?!

_“Ah, we need to get going, Domyouji” Akiyama says, checking his phone, “Everyone will be there soon and Kamo’s probably wondering where we are.”_

_Pouting like a child, Domyouji hunches his shoulders over. “Eh? It’s already that late? I was having so much fun!”_

_Shaking his head a little, Akiyama offers a small smile, “Well, we’ll be going now, but you should really join us next time, Fushimi-san.” To which Fushimi just shrugs. He really could be antisocial, this guy. “It was nice seeing you Fushimi-san, and nice meeting you as well, Yata-san!”_

_“Oh, right, you too!” Yata says, all the while nudging Fushimi in the arm to do the same._

Doesn’t this guy have any manners?

_Frowning, Fushimi mumbles a pathetic goodbye, making Yata roll his eyes._

_“Can’t we stay a little lon- W-wait, Akiyama!“ Grabbing Domyouji by the collar, Akiyama drags him away, barely giving him a chance to say goodbye, “See you later, Fushimi-san! I’ll text you later, Yata-san, don’t forget the party’s in a couple weeks!”_

_Laughing a bit, Yata waves, “I won’t! Bye!”_

_Watching as Domyouji is dragged around a nearby corner, Yata sighs. It was only for a short-time, but seeing Fushimi’s friends really was entertaining. Domyouji seemed like a fun guy, though it was obvious he pushed his limits. Akiyama seemed nice enough at least, and looked to be level headed._ I wonder what the rest of his friends are like. _Well, he’d find out soon, the party wasn’t too far away, and Yata had to admit he was kind of excited about it._

_“Hey, Saru, how come you didn’t hang out with them? Akiyama-san made it sound like you turned down their offer before or something.”_

_As Yata questions Fushimi, he continues to walk forward, staying silent for a moment, before peering at Yata. “Would you rather I hang out with them than you?”_

_At that, Yata’s face flushes._ This guy… _He was obviously only trying to embarrass him. He had been doing it all day, damn it! He had done it with the whole number thing too – now that he thought about it – and he was not about to let him win._ I shouldn’t have been so obvious about wanting to hang out before… _He didn’t think Fushimi would mess with him so much about it, but there was no shame in it. He wanted to be friends, so fucking what? “Nope,” Yata says, smiling, “I like this better.”_

_It’s Fushimi’s turn to flush, if only slightly, before turning his gaze ahead. “Hm.”_

Heh, he’s totally embarrassed _._

_Somehow, that made Yata puff up with pride. Fushimi may be a pain in the ass, and grumpy more times than not, but he had other sides to him. They were harder to access than the usual displeasure he showed, but Yata couldn’t help but want to try and open him up, exploring them all himself. It was his first time feeling like he wanted to know everything about a person, and yet it was oddly fulfilling, to have a goal like that._

_“So, are you gonna give me your number or what?” Yata says, feeling confident, “I really will come over if you don’t.”_

_“Somehow I feel like you’ll come over even if I do give you my number.”_

_“Heh, maybe, but it’s fine, right?” Yata says, skipping forward a little, “It’s fun hanging out together!”_

_Snorting, Fushimi replies, “Says you.”_

_“Hey! No one made you hang out with me!”_

_“You won’t shut up if I don’t.”_

This again… _It was getting easier to tell when Fushimi was messing with him now, his usual comments having less of a bite as they continued to banter. Now that he was starting to pick up on it though, it was hard not to mess with Fushimi back, and frankly, Yata was having a lot of fun doing it._

_“Are you sure that’s why?” Yata says, a mischievous grin on his face, “It looks like you say no to your friends when they wanna hang out, and they still bug you.”_

_“That’s different…” Fushimi says, frowning, “I see them all the time at school, why would I need to see them more than that?”_

_“Um, maybe because you’re_ friends _?”_

_“We’re not… friends.”_

He’s not very honest, is he?

_Even without hearing Fushimi say it, Yata knew that wasn’t the case. “Well, fine then, how about I give you my number instead, and you can message me whenever?”_

_Fushimi goes quiet again, contemplating the offer._ W-was that too much? _He kind of was pushing the whole number thing, but he couldn’t help it! Fushimi hadn’t exactly said no to giving it to him before, and he was being difficult, so why not change it up a little?_

_“Why would I need your number?”_

_Shrugging, Yata smiles sheepishly. He didn’t really think he’d have to explain something like that, but maybe Fushimi just wasn’t used to this sort of thing. Not that he was really an expert at getting numbers either, but he wasn’t that bad. Or maybe he was, and that’s why things were going the way they were_. It’s not me, it’s him, damn it!

_“Uh, maybe if you’re starving or something, I can bring you food! You always seem like you’re too busy studying and stuff so… maybe it would be helpful, yeah? Plus, you have like_ no _food in your fridge.” Yata says, voice trailing off at the last part. Fushimi seemed to have heard it regardless though, a glare being thrown his way, “A-Anyways! I cook for myself too and end up making too much sometimes, so it works out!”_

_The more Yata talked, the more he could feel his face flush. He really wasn’t lying about the whole food thing, but it was never a problem. He didn’t mind eating leftovers, and the rare times he made too much for even himself, he had his friends he could give it to. Shoving his hands in his pocket, Yata adds more, though a bit more quietly, “…Or we can hang out again! You know… stuff like that.”_

_Fushimi stays silent again, only serving to gnaw at Yata’s nerves. He was starting to regret asking so much, but just as he’s about to say to forget it, Fushimi speaks up, “… Fine.”_

_Perking up, Yata smiles, “Awesome! My number’s-“_

_“-I’ll give you my number.”_

_“Eh?”_

_Raising an eyebrow, Fushimi looks over to Yata, “Why do you look so surprised? You said you wanted it, right?”_

_He did, but he was kind of surprised that Fushimi was suddenly agreeing to it now._ Especially after I made those lame excuses _._ _“I-I do! I do, really.”_

_Taking out their phones, the two of them exchange numbers. Yata was so excited, his fingers were trembling slightly as he entered in Fushimi’s name as ‘Saruhiko’ along with the emoji of a monkey. It was kind of lame, how excited he was about the whole thing, but somehow it felt like a huge accomplishment._ I got his number, hell yeah!

_Looking up from his own phone, Yata catches a glimpse at Fushimi’s screen, just before he locks it, his eyes going wide. “H-hey, why’d you make that my name?!” Yata says, voice rising._

_“What? Your name_ is _Misaki, you do know that, right?”_

_“Fuck off, that’s not what I meant!” Yata exclaims, moving closer, “But why’d you add a shrimp emoji next to it?!”_

_“Is it not obvious? It’s because you’re short.”_

_“Is my height all you care about, asshole? Make it something cooler, like a skateboard!”_

_“They don’t have something like that,” Fushimi says, frowning, “Besides, you made mine a monkey.”_

_Ah, he saw that…_

_“What’s wrong with that? It fits your name!”_

_“Right, how creative of you.”_

_Even with Fushimi’s snarky comments, it doesn’t bother Yata one bit. He didn’t have anything else planned for the two of them, but as they continue to walk, bantering all along the way, they don’t head home, their feet taking them to another unknown destination._

\--

Thinking back on it all, Yata picks up his pace even more, a beat in his step. In the end, it was a great day, and it had Yata in a good mood since. He got to hang out with Fushimi, got his number, and was even invited to a party with all of Fushimi's friends. They even hung out a couple times after that too, which Yata was more than ecstatic about. It was almost like after that day, things just sort of fell into place, now that Fushimi knew that Yata really did want to spend time with him.

It was fun, hanging out with Fushimi, the two of them talking at Fushimi’s small dining table while they ate whatever Yata made that day. Not only that, but Fushimi had even come to Café Homra before class once, after Yata brought it up at dinner. Things were going awesome, and Yata was especially looking forward to spending time with Fushimi at the party.

Speaking of which... Domyouji had said it was a Valentine's Day party, the reminder of that small detail making Yata's heart rate speed up, his pace as he walked down the street faltering a little. It was part of the reason he was out and about actually, catering duties aside.   
  
He had already told Kusanagi about it, so he had the job of practicing a few more recipes before the actual day in order to help lessen the load on the other staff members. It wasn't too big of a party, so the couple weeks notice was more than enough for them to get everything sorted out. The only real problem Yata had was the whole... Valentine's Day part of it.   
  
It wasn't the fact that they'd be making heart and love themed desserts - that part he had gotten used to a long time ago - it was what he wanted to do _because_ it was a Valentine's Day party that was stressing him out. He knew Fushimi would be there, and as such, he kind of, maybe, wanted to make him chocolates. Or something. _Chocolates, huh?_ Just thinking of it again makes his face heat up, embarrassment taking over. _Ugh...  
  
_ He didn't really get why he wanted to do it so much, but when the idea had come to him, it was like he was raring to go, enthusiasm taking him by the reigns. _It’s all Domyouji’s fault, damn it!_ He wasn’t even thinking about making chocolates for Valentine’s Day before, or at least not until he got a text from Domyouji a few days prior.

\--

_Hearing his phone go off in his pocket, Yata pulls out his phone, only to see he’s received a message._ Him again, huh? _It was Domyouji again, not that it was a problem. The two of them had sort of become texting buddies somehow, and just like Yata thought when he’d first met him, he was a pretty fun guy. The text on his screen has him replying instantly, curiosity getting the better of him._

**_Domyouji:_ ** _Hey, Yata-san I have a question…_

**_You:_ ** _sup?_

**_Domyouji:_ ** _You’re coming to the party for sure right?_

_That… wasn’t exactly the type of question he was expecting. He thought it would be something more serious, or some random gossip he’d picked up on, but not this. He didn’t know why Domyouji was asking that now, it was odd. He had already told him that Kusanagi gave the okay, and that they’d be in touch._

**_You:_ ** _ofc! i said i was didnt i?_

**_Domyouji:_ ** _Awesome just checking! But you know how it’s a valentine’s day party right?_

_Brows furrowing, Yata types back a response._

**_You:_ ** _yea… u kinda mentioned that before. y?_

**_Domyouji:_ ** _Are you gonna make anyone some chocolates?  
**Domyouji:** For Valentine’s Day I mean._

_That, has Yata’s eyes widening._ Chocolates? _He wasn’t exactly planning on it, though the idea makes his heart skip a beat a little. To make chocolates for someone… it would be his first time._

**_You:_ ** _y r u asking me abt somethin like that???_

**_Domyouji:_ ** _No reason really but… you should think about it if you’re not already!!_

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

**_Domyouji:_ ** _I told Fushimi-san the same thing._

Saruhiko…? _Reading that name over, Yata feels himself gulp. They had been texting off and on themselves the past week, but seeing that name in this context, it has him feeling almost giddy somehow._ What’s with that? _Without thinking much into it, Yata replies._

**_You:_ ** _sarus gonna give someone chocolate?_

**_Domyouji:_ ** _Not sure if he will or not, but I told him to think about it!  
**Domyouji:** He was kinda rude about it though._

_Reading over Domyouji’s messages, Yata laughs to himself a little._ Well, he doesn’t seem like the type to talk about those things _. He was surprised at how casually Domyouji seemed to ask Fushimi stuff like that, even though he knew he’d get a sour response back._

**_Domyouji:_ ** _Anyways, it was just a question it’s all up to you in the end! Good luck, Yata-san!_

\--

Ever since that weird conversation, Yata couldn’t stop thinking about it, his mind mulling over the idea until he was fed up with it. Why was Domyouji asking him about chocolates all of a sudden? Not to mention he’d brought it up to Fushimi as well, which only made Yata burn with an aching curiosity. Domyouji said Fushimi was rude about it when he’d asked him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about it now that it was brought up to him. That was how it was for him, so it wasn’t like it was impossible, even if Fushimi didn’t seem the type to be interested in things like that. Hell, Yata wasn’t really into things like that much himself – or at least he wasn’t in the past – and yet here he was.

It was all he could think about now, even when he was texting Fushimi, his face flushing as he thought about the possible reaction Fushimi would give him, only to deflate a minute later when he realized how ridiculous he’d probably find it. It was exhausting, going through so many different feelings, all from the mention of one stupid thing. He was never good at just sitting around during times like this though, so he had decided to go out to try and clear his mind. Unfortunately, it ended up having the opposite effect, with all the stuff that was on sale for the upcoming holiday.

There were different kinds of chocolates everywhere, along with an assortment of molds, and not to mention several displays of different ideas for what to make with them. It only made Yata want to make them even more, and it was completely humiliating. Even if he made Fushimi chocolates… it didn’t necessarily mean it _meant_ anything. _It would just be as friends, what's the big deal?!_ Then there was also the problem of actually _giving_ them to Fushimi, if he managed to make some.

Flustered, Yata runs his fingers through his hair as he tries to come up with a solution. _Maybe I can make enough for everyone and hand them out?_ No, that wouldn't work. He didn't even know Fushimi's friends, and they were catering the party and bringing all the desserts, anyways, so it would've been unnecessary. Plus, he didn’t really want to draw attention to himself in a situation like this…

Walking past a few more stores, Yata slows his pace down, finally giving into the temptation to glance into the window of one of the store displays. It just so happened that the store he’d stopped in front of was a bakery too, the big window showcasing an array of different cakes, and desserts, as well as an assortment of bonbons and truffles.

The chocolates catch his eye immediately, the different designs already giving him ideas for what he could do himself – for work purposes, of course. Besides, looking didn’t mean he was necessarily going to make anything, he was just curious was all. _A little browsing never hurt anyone…_ Just as he’s about to walk in, Yata suddenly he hears a familiar, small voice calling him from behind. "Misaki."  
  
"Eh?" Turning around, Yata is met with a familiar face, a small smile working its way onto his features, “Anna! What are you doing out here? Are you out with Kusanagi-san?”

Shaking her head, Anna points to a crepe stand behind her, not even bothering to look back herself. Following to where Anna was pointing, Yata’s eyes widen as he realizes what, or rather, who she’s gesturing to, a girl with long, pale pink hair catching his attention. “I’m here with Neko.”

_Geh…_ Of all people for Anna to be with, it had to be _her._ He wasn’t good with girls under normal circumstances, but Neko… she was in a whole other category. She was loud and clingy, though not to him – usually, anyways, which he was thankful of – and always showed a lot of… skin. She was an occasional customer at Café Homra, and somewhere along the lines, her and Anna had become great friends. It was unusual for her to be alone though, Yata’s eyes automatically looking for one of her two friends whom of which she was always with.

“O-oh, I see..” Yata says, trying not to show his discomfort, “Is it just you two?”

“Yes, we’re shopping for Valentine’s Day chocolates.”

_Valentine’s Day chocolates?!_

Thinking of what that meant, Yata feels himself gulp, readying himself as he asks, “Oi, oi, you giving someone chocolates?” He asks, incredulous. There was no way… Anna was only eleven, it was far too soon for her to be worrying about stuff like that. _If she likes someone, I’m gonna have to kick their ass!_

Face going slightly red, Anna says one single word, “Mikoto.”

_Ah._ Somehow, Yata felt like he should’ve known. _Well, Mikoto-san is pretty cool, of course she’d wanna give him some!_

Deflating, Yata lets out a sigh of relief, “So that’s it, huh? Why didn’t you say so sooner?” Honestly, he was glad she wasn’t talking about some kid in her class, otherwise Café Homra would’ve had a say in that, himself included. “He’s not in town though, so I don’t think you need to make him anything…”

“He’s coming back,” Anna says, looking at Yata straight on, “I can tell.”

“Really? Mikoto-san is?” Yata says, excitement pooling within him, “Do you know when?”

A lot of the time, Mikoto and Totsuka wouldn’t say when they’d be back and would just show up out of nowhere, surprising everyone with their sudden return. At least, that’s how it went when Anna wasn’t around to give them a heads up. She had a sort of sixth sense when it came to stuff like that, and was somehow always able to tell when they’d be coming home.

“Around Valentine’s Day.”

“Heh, so you wanna give him chocolates when he gets back, huh?”

Nodding, Anna looks to Neko again, watching as she purchases her dessert, “Neko wants to give Shiro chocolates as well, so we decided to go shopping together in secret.”

_Shiro…_  He was one of Neko’s friends as well, a white-haired guy with a relaxed personality. He had only spoken to him a few times, but he sort of reminded Yata of Totsuka in the sense of how laidback they were. He seemed like a decent person, and Yata had to admit he liked him better than Neko’s other friend, Kuroh. He wasn’t exactly a bad guy or anything, just a stickler for the rules, making him a total buzzkill in Yata’s opinion.

As if the mention of Shiro’s name had summoned her, Neko was back, crepe in hand, though most of it was on her face by now. “I’m gonna make Shiro chocolates!” She announces, face full of pride.

Smiling at her enthusiasm, Anna looks back over to Yata, “But we’re having problems.”

“Problems? What do you mean?”

“We can’t cook!” Neko says, licking cream off her finger, “Only Kurosuke can!”

Face flushing at the scene, Yata averts his eyes, “W-why don’t you ask him for help then?”

Shaking her head violently, Neko refuses. “It’s a secret!”

_Right, a secret._

“Misaki,” Anna says, eyes determined, “Can you help us?”

“Yeah, help us!”

_Uh oh._ This was looking bad. If it were just Anna he was helping, it wouldn’t be a problem, but with Neko in the picture, Yata could already feel his hands beginning to sweat. “W-Why don’t you ask Kusanagi-san for help, Anna? That way you can practice at the café all you want.”

“I can’t, Mikoto might come there while we’re practicing.”

“Uh, what about Kamamoto or Chitose? They’re actually pretty good with stuff like that, you know.”

“They’re going to be busy with their girlfriends.”

That… was true, but still! Anna said he wouldn’t be there until around Valentine’s Day, so she still had time to-

“If I practice at home Shiro will find out!”

“If I make them at the café, someone might say something, even if Mikoto doesn’t come,” Anna says, pouting slightly, “And I want it to be a surprise, so please, Misaki.”

_Ugh…_ Anna usually wasn’t so demanding, so seeing her like this only made it harder to deal with. _Can’t help it when it comes to Mikoto-san, I guess…_ She really did like him, after all. Already feeling himself give in, Yata heaves a heavy sigh, accepting his fate, “Alright, I’ll help you guys out.”

“Misaki… Thank you.” Anna says, smiling.

Seeing how happy she looked, Yata started to feel like it would all be worth it in the end. She was like a little sister like him though, so it couldn’t be helped if he had a soft spot for her.

“Thanks!” Neko says, surging forward from her spot to give him a hug, “Shiro will be so happy!”

“H-hey!” Yata says, face heating up, “I-I get it already, so get off me!”

After a few more seconds of happy thanks, Neko finally gets off him, giving Yata a chance to calm himself down. He… really could never get used to that. Things were definitely going to be interesting though, that was for sure.

“Let’s get shopping, then.” Anna says, walking past Yata towards the store he was planning on entering before. Skipping passed him as well, Neko follows suit, excitement ringing in her voice as she sang some made up song to herself.

Well, since he was going to be making chocolates anyways, maybe making some for Fushimi wouldn’t be such a weird thing to do, after all.

\--

They ended up buying quite a lot after entering that first store. Anna knew more or less what she wanted to do, while Neko on the hand wanted to do just about everything. She was quite the handful, but luckily for Yata, she listened to Anna pretty well. It took some convincing on both of their ends to keep her from buying too much, but they managed to keep her purchases to a minimum. In the end though, that really wasn’t saying much.

Neko still ended buying a lot more than what Yata would deem necessary, making the trek to his apartment a less than pleasant experience. Since she ended up buying so much, he got stuck with having to help her carry some of the bags, unable to do it all for herself. It was familiar though, somehow, having lugged all those bags up the stairs. _Ah, it kinda reminds me of the night I met Saruhiko…_

To think that because he’d forgotten some sugar that night, that he’d make friends with someone so grumpy. It was kind of funny, thinking back on it.

Yata had thought Fushimi was such an unpleasant person in the beginning, and yet here he was now, wanting to make him chocolates. He was rude, didn’t know how to take care of himself, and was awkward as hell, but Yata found him having fun with Fushimi regardless of all those things. That wasn’t to say that was all there was to him though, Fushimi was also smart, and worked hard at school, and was super good at video games.

Yata couldn’t help but get excited whenever he was around Fushimi, even if he liked to tease him a lot. It was fun being with Fushimi, and it was… easy, somehow – they clicked. They just had a sort of chemistry to them, or something, their conversations flowing with ease and the time they spent together passing in the blink of an eye. He wasn’t sure if Fushimi felt the same, but Yata decided not to worry about it too much. If Fushimi really didn’t like him, he was sure he’d know it by now.

With those thoughts in mind, Yata feels a sort of excitement run through him. He really did want to make Fushimi those chocolates… they were sort of like an embodiment of how he felt about their growing friendship, and… about Fushimi, when he thought about it.

“Misaki,” Anna says, unfazed, though Yata doesn’t miss the sudden appearance of chocolate on her cheek, “Something’s wrong.”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Yata’s eyes just about burst out of their sockets, “What the hell are you two doing?!”

Somehow, in the midst of his reminiscing, Neko had gotten a hold of the hand-held mixer, letting it go off at its max speed. She was splattering chocolate everywhere, and looked to be enjoying it all the while too, as she bounced around mixing the melted chocolate. Anna on the other hand was just standing there, watching the whole thing happen. _Seriously?!_

“Turn it down, Neko!” Yata says, calling over the sound of the mixer, “Oi-“

Okay, Yata was wrong, that was _not_ the max speed.

Instead of turning it down, Neko turns it up higher, managing to get even more chocolate everywhere. _By the time she’s finished there won’t even be anything left in the bowl!_

Getting hit in the face with another glob of chocolate, Anna stands there, wiping it off with her finger. “Ah.”

“Yahoo!” Neko exclaims, a smile on her face, “Gotta mix it well!”

“You’re mixing it _too_ well, damn it!” Moving from where he was standing, Yata moves around Anna to grab onto Neko’s hand, attempting to keep it still. He gets hit with chocolate within the few seconds it takes to get her to calm down, before turning it off finally. Letting out a sigh of relief, Yata glares at Neko, “Seriously, I know the directions said to mix it well, but it didn’t say to make a huge mess!”

“It’s yummy,” Anna says, licking the chocolate she wiped off earlier, “Good job, Neko.”

“Yay! I did it!”

_Fucking…_

“ _No,_ not ‘good job’, you made a mess everywhere!”

“But… Anna said I did a good job,” Neko says, pouting, a total contrast to her earlier mood, “Is it no good?”

Under that gaze, Yata could already feel his anger fading. Looking at the splattered chocolate on Neko’s face, then over to Anna, who somehow had it worse, despite standing on the other side of the counter, Yata lets out a small chuckle, before it turns into full on laughter.

“Ah ha ha!” Yata says, voice bubbly, “Anna, your face is a mess!”

Seemingly shocked, Neko’s eyes go wide, before she takes a peek at Anna herself, giggles escaping her lips. “So much chocolate!”

“Ah,” Is all Anna manages, before a small smile reaches her lips, “You too, Misaki, Neko.”

“Eh?” Yata didn’t even think about himself, but seeing how much chocolate was on his hand and shirt, he didn’t doubt he was a mess. It wasn’t really a problem though, he could throw it in the wash and it’d be good as new. As for the kitchen though… Well, it was fine in the end, what was a little mess? “Just try to keep it at a normal speed, will you? We’re gonna run out of chocolate if you keep that up.”

“Got it!”

Realizing the position they’re in, Yata jumps away and let’s go of Neko’s hand. He stands close by just in case though, watching as she turns the mixer on to medium, and feels himself relax. Yata could see now why they needed his help.

_Well, it’s only the first try!_

\--

Valentine’s Day was tomorrow, and Yata was proud to say that he, Anna, and Neko had all successfully made some chocolates. It took a few… practice sessions, but they were all pretty fun, cleaning aside. Neko didn’t make as much of a mess after that first incident, but she wasn’t the biggest fan of cleaning, which Yata had learned. With Anna being there though, things didn’t go as badly or awkwardly as he had expected, the times they spent practicing going by quickly with how entertained he was.

“Misaki,” Anna says, looking her newly finished box of chocolates, “Thank you for your help.”

“No problem!”

Twirling around with her own box of chocolates in hand, Neko offers a huge grin, “Thank you so much! Shiro will love it!”

“Heh, you bet he will!”

They had all worked hard on it, after all. He even had his own box of chocolates with him, the red box adorned with a neatly tied bow that Anna had made for him. She was skilled with those things, he came to find out, and she even made bows for Neko’s and her own chocolates, adding a finishing touch to them. Hell, if Yata didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought they’d bought them at the store or something. _Goes to show how awesome we are!_

He almost wanted to send a picture of it to Fushimi then and show it off, but he could wait. Besides, it’d be better to see his reaction in person.

“We’ll be going now, then,” Anna says, standing from her seat, “Neko and I want to plan our outfits for tomorrow.”

“Outfits?”

“We’re going on dates,” Neko says, obviously proud, “I already asked Shiro, and Anna said she’s going on one too!”

“Ah, really?” Yata says, surprised. He didn’t even know Anna had managed to talk to Mikoto. “You asked Mikoto-san on a date, Anna?”

Nodding, Anna’s eyes sparkle, “Izumo messaged him for me.”

“Wait, so does that mean he’s coming back tomorrow then?”

“Yes.”

_Why the hell didn’t anyone tell me?!_

It was sort of frustrating that no one had mentioned it, but there nothing he could do about it now. Everyone was busy preparing for the Valentine’s Day party tomorrow, so that was probably why it hadn’t been brought up. Plus, Mikoto apparently had a date to attend, so it looked like he wouldn’t be able to see him regardless. _I can see him after, no big deal!_

Not to mention he had a bigger problem at hand, the box of chocolates he’d made serving as a physical reminder. He kind of needed to figure out how he was going to give them to Fushimi too, now that he thought about it. _Right, that._ He was having so much fun making them, that he didn’t really put any thought into how he’d actually give them to him. It… couldn’t be that bad, right? He asked for Fushimi’s number before, so it was practically the same thing! Kind of.

 “Anna, let’s go!” Neko says, bouncing around, “If we take too long, all the good outfits will be gone!”

“Ah, sorry, Neko,” Anna says, before stepping closer to Yata, her voice quiet, “Good luck tomorrow, Misaki.”

Face flushing red, Yata’s eyes go wide, “W-what are you talking about, Anna?”

Giving a determined look, all Anna does is offer a thumbs up, before turning to follow Neko to the door. _No way…_ Leave it to Anna to see right through him, even if he didn’t say anything.

“Bye bye!” Neko says, waving, “See you later!”

Frozen in his spot, all Yata can do is offer a pathetic wave, before they’re out the door.

\--

By the time night comes, Yata is laying in bed, wide awake. He was a little more than excited for the next day, his mind wandering to the box of chocolates he had ended up making. It… was just a simple token on their friendship, really. Besides, he kind of had no choice but to make them. How else was he going to show Anna and Neko how it was done? _Right, it’s no big deal._ Tomorrow, he would see Fushimi at the party, and at some point during it all, he would give him a box of chocolates. Nothing to worry about.

… Or he could just keep them for himself, and Fushimi would never have to know. But Anna had told him ‘good luck’ already, and what kind of man gave up so easily?

“Ugh!” Jolting forward in his bed, Yata sits up, grabbing for his phone. His own thoughts were driving him insane.

**You:** r u up?

Surprisingly, he gets a text back not even a minute later, despite the time, almost causing him to jump as his phone vibrates.

**Domyouji:** Yata-san! What’s up?

_Thank god…_ If he didn’t have someone to talk to, he was sure he’d burst. Getting straight to the point, Yata bites his lip and types out his response.

**You:** i made chocolates  
**You:** for saru

Domyouji’s response is even quicker this time, his reply seeming more than pleased.

**Domyouji:** Awesome, Yata-san, I knew you could do it!

Somehow, that made him feel a little better. _See? It’s not weird after-_

**Domyouji:** So you’re going to confess to Fushimi-san tomorrow, right? Good luck!

Reading that over, Yata just about freezes.

Confess. To Fushimi. As in, ‘confess your feelings and start dating’ sort of confess.

“W-what the hell!” Yata says, practically holding his phone in a death grip.

**You:** nonono no way!!!  
**You:** y would u think something like that?!

Domyouji’s response this time takes a few moments, making Yata bounce his leg in impatience. He really shouldn’t have said anything at all, damn it.

**Domyouji:** Why do you sound so surprised?  
**Domyouji:** If I’m not mistaken, most people make chocolates on Valentine’s Day if they’re planning to confess…

Well, that was true, everyone knew that, but this- this was different than that! He had only known Fushimi for a month or so by now, so that sort of thing was out of the question. He only made them to show how much he liked Fushimi – as a _friend_ – and that he was glad they were finally starting to hang out and what not. That was all.

**You:** i made it as friends damn it!  
**You:** hes rlly cool so i just idk  
**You:** wanted to show him. or something like that…

Explaining it to someone else was kind of embarrassing, he had to admit. He could feel his face burning as he sent the messages, awaiting Domyouji’s response. It was true though, Fushimi was really cool, and Yata didn’t have a problem telling him that. Or, he shouldn’t have anyways, but it was getting to be way too embarrassing even thinking about it.

**Domyouji:** I see… Well, good luck anyways, Yata-san! I’m sure Fushimi-san will appreciate it either way.

“E-either way? The hell’s that supposed to mean?” Yata mumbles, before another text pops up.

**Domyouji:** But I’m going to bed now, so see you tomorrow!

**You:** oh ok  
**You:** night then see u later!!

Slumping back into bed, Yata lets out a sigh. He had messaged Domyouji in order to make himself feel better about the whole thing, but in the end, it just left him feeling even more restless. _Confessing, huh…_ It was ridiculous, there was no way he liked Fushimi like that, even if he was cool, and attractive… and fun to hang out with…

Face flushing again, Yata groans, and shoves his face into his pillow. Everyone was looking into things far more than necessary, starting first with his friends, and now Domyouji. Rolling onto his side, Yata closes his eyes, willing the thoughts away.

_Just go to sleep, already._

_\--_

When Yata shows up at Café Homra the next day, his mood lifts instantly. They were meant to report to the café a couple hours prior to the party in order to get some last minute things together, as well as cook up some of the things that couldn’t be made too far in advance, but as Yata makes his way inside, he spots two familiar faces he hadn’t seen in a while, along with the rest of his friends.

“Mikoto-san! Totsuka-san!” Yata calls, walking to where everyone was huddled around them, a smile on his face. They were sitting at one of the booths, with a number of items on the table. That was another thing about Mikoto and Totsuka, they always brought back gifts for everyone, no matter where they went. “Welcome back, you two!”

Looking up, Mikoto offers a small nod in acknowledgement, before turning his gaze back down to where Anna sat beside him. He had only looked up for a second, and she was already tugging on his sleeve for his attention again. _Heh, looks like Anna was right, after all!_

“Ah, Yata, how are you!” Totsuka says, smiling, “Are things going well?”

Giving a thumbs up, Yata flashes a grin, “You bet! How was your trip?”

“It was great! Even King had fun, right?”

“Mm,” Is the response Totsuka gets, when suddenly, Mikoto leans forwards to grab something on the table, his hands shuffling threw several goods before stilling. Pulling his hand back, Mikoto offers a familiar looking bag over to Yata, “Yata, here.”

Taking the bag from Mikoto, Yata’s eyes sparkle. _This…!_ “N-no way, where’d you guys find these?!”

“Haha, we knew you’d appreciate it,” Totsuka says, raising his pointer finger, “King saw them at one of the towns we visited, he said you mentioned liking them before.”

At that, Yata feels his face burn. _He remembered something like that?_ Looking the bag over in his hands, Yata felt way more than touched. It was a bag of his favorite pineapple hard candies, and he almost couldn’t believe it. He used to eat them all the time in his hometown, but after moving here, he could never seem to find them. “Thank you so much, guys!”

“No problem.” Totsuka says, smiling.

“Of course Yata would get something like that,” Chitose says, voice breezy, “You’re just like a kid.”

Leave it to Chitose to try and ruin everything.

He was in too good of a mood for it to bother him though, being too preoccupied with the fact that Mikoto had remembered something so trivial. “Say what you want, but you’re not getting any no matter how much you ask.” Yata says, smirking. “I know you liked them the last time I got some.”

Eyebrow twitching, Chitose waves his hand, “Whatever, I don’t need some stupid candy.”

“Good, more for me then.” Opening the bag, Yata takes one out and pops it into his mouth. It was always delicious, no matter how many times he ate it. “So good!” He chimes, only for Chitose to huff and walk away. _I should give Saruhiko one of these!_

“So, I heard you guys have a catering event today?” Totsuka asks, leaning his head on his hand, “For a Scepter 4 party, right?”

“Scepter 4?”

“Ah, Yata-chan, that’s the name of the club Fushimi-kun’s in.” Kusanagi says, walking up to them, “I guess you didn’t know.”

He only knew Fushimi was in a club, not the name of it. He was so preoccupied in everything else that happened that day to worry about the details.

“Ah, no! I didn’t ask about the name.” Now that he was thinking about it, when he’d told Kusanagi about the party he never mentioned the name of the club either. “How do you know about it, Kusanagi-san?”

Huffing a laugh, Kusanagi looks over to Mikoto, “Let’s just say there are some acquaintances of ours involved in this.”

Acquaintances of Mikoto and Kusanagi? That somehow made Yata curious. _Looks like this party really will be interesting!_

“’Fushimi-kun’?” Totsuka says, brows raising, “Ah, so he’s the one everyone’s talking about.”

“E-Eh? Everyone?”

“Yup, he’s your new boyfriend, right?” Totsuka had said it so matter-of-factly, that Yata had almost choked on his candy. “Wow, we’ve only been gone for a few weeks and this happens? Congrats, Yata!”

At that, the café seemingly goes quiet, all eyes on him. _What the hell, Totsuka-san!_ He knew everyone in the café was gossiping about him and Fushimi, but… this was too far. _B-boyfriend?! Saruhiko, as my b-boyfriend…_ If Fushimi heard that, he’d probably click his tongue in annoyance.

“Wow you guys are dating already?” Kamamoto, who was in the middle of eating his own gift, says, “That’s great Yata-san, looks like you were worried before for nothing!”

Looking surprised, Bandou cuts in, “You’re seriously dating that guy, Yata? He looks way out of your league, to be honest…”

“Can someone who’s single really say something like that?” Akagi says, only to laugh when Bandou tries to land a hit on him, “Just saying!”

Mikoto, who had been silent just about the entire time other than his earlier greeting, looks up to Yata again, that same bored gaze as always. “Congrats, Yata.”

Somehow, that alone was enough to snap him out of it. “H-he’s not my boyfriend!” Yata sputters, his face burning, “We’re just friends!”

“Friends, huh?” Totsuka says, his voice somehow seeming disappointed, “Everyone was sure you guys were dating, I was really happy for you.”

“They’re not dating _yet_ ,” Chitose says, “They went on a date the other day, you know.”

“I-It wasn’t a d-date!”

Of all the things Yata did the day he and Fushimi hung out, that was the only thing he regretted. Why did he think it was a good idea to bring Fushimi to Homra?! Ever since then, his friends teasing was more ruthless than usual.

“Not a date my ass!” Bandou says, pointing his finger at Yata accusingly, “You paid for his food and everything!”

“T-That’s because I have a discount, asshole!”

“Yeah, sure…” Eric mutters.

“Not to mention he even said he was the one to ask him out…” Chitose says, hand to his chin, “Looks like Yata’s got more guts than we give him credit for.”

He did say he asked him out but… not like that!

“Hm, maybe I should help out with the party today too then!” Totsuka says, smiling, “I want to see what this Fushimi-kun is like.”

Letting out a small smile, Kusanagi pipes up, “Are you sure? You just got back last night, there’s no need to push yourself.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! King’s got a date today, anyways, so I’ll be free.”

“Date…” Anna says, looking at Mikoto with big eyes, to which he tries not to engage.

“T-Totsuka-san… it’s fine, really! He’s just a friend s-so there’s no need for you to come with, haha…”

If Totsuka came, Yata felt like things could get tricky fast somehow. He was always good at dropping hints and implying things, and even if Yata wasn’t the best at fully realizing what he was hinting at most times, he could still tell he was usually up to something – and he did not want Fushimi tied up in that. _He’d probably secretly embarrass me somehow!_

“What, you don’t want me to come Yata?”            

 

_He saw right through me!_

Trying to act natural, Yata keeps his voice level, “It’s not that! It’s just um-“

“-I won’t do anything weird, don’t worry about it!”

Somehow, that alone made Yata feel even worse.

“Hah, r-right…”

“Well, the party’s in an hour, so we should start getting ready, you two.” Kusanagi says, walking towards the backroom. “Everyone else, too!”

At that, everyone moves from where they were lounging, getting to work. It was fun catching up with Mikoto and Totsuka, but it was time for business.

“Of course!” Getting up from his seat, Totsuka waves to Mikoto and Anna, “See you later, guys. Have fun on your date!”

“Thank you, Tatara, we will.” Anna says, snuggling into Mikoto even further, “Good luck with Fushimi, Misaki.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Yata flushes slightly, “Ah, thanks, Anna.”

It was embarrassing, but it was still nice to have a little luck on his side. He was still restless about the whole thing, in all honesty.

“Oh?” Totsuka says, apparently having picked up on the hidden meaning there, “Good luck with what?”

Pushing Totsuka from behind, Yata urges him to follow Kusanagi, “N-Nothing, Totsuka-san, let’s go!”

He had enough to worry about, but with Totsuka coming along, today seemed like it would be more eventful than planned. _Please don’t let today be embarrassing!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay thanks for reading!!
> 
> This chapter was originally going to include the party but it ended up being too long so I had to stop it here! Hopefully you all enjoyed regardless tho. This was my first time writing a few of the characters so hopefully I did them justice ^^;; I also tried writing all in Yata's POV and that was p fun actually! Next chapter will be an interesting one tho so please look forward to it *-*
> 
> Thanks for reading again tho!! Also comments are always appreciated!! They make my day <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the party begins along w Yata and Saru's internal struggling lool. Sorry for the wait! This chapter just kept getting longer and longer but I finally finished it lol so I hope you all enjoy! Also thank you to Fuchsia for reading this over for me as well as motivating me to get this chapter done, it really means a lot <3

Fushimi was starting to feel like today was going to be even worse than he’d originally anticipated. The day had started out normal enough, with him barely getting enough sleep before getting ready and heading to school. He had gotten a text from Yata in the middle of one of his classes though, an image attached to it. The picture showed Yata sporting a big grin and a thumbs-up, along with the message of, “can’t wait for the party!”. In the background was an array of desserts, along with a couple of slightly blurred profiles of who Fushimi assumed to be Yata’s coworkers.

He couldn’t make out one of the people in the picture Yata had sent him, but he did recognize the other. It was the same guy who’d said Yata had a man the other day, though he didn’t know his name. He was too preoccupied with the odd situation he had been thrown into that day to really pay attention to his name tag. He hadn’t really thought about Yata dating someone since though, and it was irritating to be reminded of it. He managed to force the unpleasant feelings down as he attempted to reason with himself. It wasn’t his business if Yata was dating someone, and even if he was, he didn’t care. Taking in the photo properly, Fushimi’s eyes rove over his screen. It was... a nice picture, if he had to describe it.   
Yata wasn't wearing his beanie, but was instead wearing a pink apron on top of a black t-shirt. He had what looked to be some flour on his face too, which only added to the charm of it all. Yata looked incredibly happy when it came to baking, that much Fushimi could tell. Not that it was a secret or anything though, his talk about how and why he wanted to become a baker at the store the other day making it more than obvious. _He's really enjoying himself, isn't he?_ Seeing such a happy look on Yata’s face, Fushimi feels his stomach do a little flip. Yata’s grin was always so wide and inviting, he didn’t know how to react whenever he saw it. Looking at the photo for a beat longer, Fushimi notes his finger was hovering over the save option. Clicking his tongue, he almost couldn’t believe himself. It was a nice photo, but keeping it was too much. Why would he need a picture of Yata anyways? Closing out the option, Fushimi instead shoots Yata a quick response, getting one back just moments later.  
  
**You:** See you soon, Misaki.  
**Misaki:** heh u bet!!  
  
Somehow, that brightened Fushimi's mood, just a little. Pocketing his phone, Fushimi feels a small smile form on his face.  
  
In just a few hours, he'd be seeing Yata again.  
  
\--  
  
Setting his books down on the table, Doumyouji barely makes it to his seat before he's uttering words of pure excitement. "You guys missed it, Fushimi-san was totally smiling at his phone in class earlier! He was so texting Yata-san."

Stopping what they were all doing, everyone turns to look at Doumyouji, then over at Fushimi. It was the end of all their classes, meaning they had some time to kill until the party. Munakata had told them all to be there by four at the absolute latest, which was when everyone was sure to be free. Munakata had apparently taken the liberty of getting a hold of everyone’s schedule prior, meaning no one could escape. The party was soon enough that they had no reason to leave campus, but was still too far away for them to show up to the clubroom. In the meantime, they were all lounging in the café again, Doumyouji and Fushimi meeting up with the rest of them as they got out of class.

“Smiling?” Enomoto says, almost in disbelief, “Really?”

Why did they have to make it sound like it was impossible for him to do such a thing? Not that he _did_ do something like that, but he could smile too sometimes. Maybe.

Taking the open seat next to Hidaka, Fushimi shoots the two of them a quick glare, "I was _not_ smiling at my phone. And could you quit bringing Misaki up? It's annoying."  
  
"Heh, you're just jealous because we're texting buddies now.” Dangling his phone in the air, Doumyouji almost has a smug look on his face. "Yata-san's pretty cool though, I can see why you like him!"  
  
_Like..._ He wasn't sure if he'd say he liked Yata exactly, but it was easy to be around him, at least. It was almost like Yata had a sort of understanding of him in a way, which was hard to wrap his head around. Yata was a complete idiot, and yet he couldn't deny how things were when they were together, the way things would just sort of… flow. They could hang out for hours, and Fushimi would find himself not minding the company. Sometimes, he almost felt like he welcomed it, which was even more unbelievable. _Ridiculous._

Glancing up from his phone Akiyama smiles at Fushimi. “Did Yata-san say something funny, Fushimi-san?”

Somehow, Fushimi could tell Akiyama knew that wasn’t the case, that small knowing look on his face. He wasn’t sure how to answer that question, his automatic reaction being to deny it. If he were to say no though, he would only prove to Akiyama what he wanted to know. It almost felt like no matter what he said, he’d be seen through. Luckily for him however, Fushimi doesn’t have to answer Akiyama’s seemingly innocent question as Hidaka cut in with his own concerns.

"'Misaki', huh..." Hidaka says, voice contemplative, "Hey, Fushimi-san why don't you call any of us by our first names? We've been friends with you longer than he has!"

Almost immediately after hearing that, Akiyama’s face sets into a resigned expression. “You’re really going to start something like that up again, Hidaka? You know how well that went last time…”

Laughing, Doumyouji looks to Akiyama, “If Hidaka was there the other day, it would’ve been priceless!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hidaka grumbles.

“Come on, you were so jealous when Fushimi-san told us about Yata-san before!” Pausing to snicker, Doumyouji continues, “I could only imagine how it would be if you saw them be so friendly together.”

“Friendly?” Fushimi says, brows furrowing. “We are not friendly.”

Hearing Fushimi’s denial, Akiyama and Doumyouji exchange looks.

“What do you mean not friendly!” Hands on the table, Doumyouji looks almost in shock. “You guys are on a first name basis!”

At that, Fushimi frowns.

They _were_ on a first name basis, but it wasn’t for reasons any of them probably thought. It had just sort of happened, Fushimi only wanting to push Yata’s buttons in the beginning. Yata didn’t seem to like being called by his first name, so the natural thing was to just go ahead and use it, right? It had the effect Fushimi wanted, Yata’s reactions always being too entertaining to pass up. He was always so easy to rile up, he couldn’t help himself. Yata using his first name to get back at him wasn’t in the plan originally, but Fushimi didn’t really mind it so much.

“Plus, you guys were totally fighting like a married couple, it was hilarious!”

_A married couple?_ That was definitely not something he’d use to describe them. The observation didn’t irritate him as much as he would’ve expected though.

Chuckling, Akiyama smiles, apparently recalling the scene. “That’s true… I’ve never seen Fushimi-san bicker with someone like that. I was really shocked.”

“And they even got us kicked out of the store!” Doumyouji says, laughing a little. “Yata-san was devastated about it.”

“It was his fault.” Fushimi says, without thinking, the words slipping out. “That idiot can’t keep his voice down.”

Noting the sudden silence, Fushimi meets his clubmates gazes, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He didn’t mean to say that, but like usual, when it came to Yata he just couldn’t seem to stop himself. Doumyouji looked way too happy at his small outburst, and even Akiyama looked pleased. Enomoto had a small smile on his face too – though he looked like he was trying not to show it – while Hidaka on the other hand looked slightly scandalized. _Ah._

Pointing his finger at Fushimi, Doumyouji’s eyes brighten, “See! You two are close after all.”

Averting his gaze, Fushimi mumbles, “We’re not close. I’m just stating the facts – which is that he’s an idiot.”

At that, Akiyama takes over, “Well, it was still a lot of fun meeting Yata-san, it’ll be nice seeing him again.”

 “It’s gonna be great! Yata-san and I have a lot to talk about it.” Doumyouji says, smirking at Fushimi for a beat too long, before looking away.

That look… never meant anything good. The small interaction between the two of them left him feeling restless, his past experiences with Doumyouji being all he needed to know that something was up. _What is he planning now?_

Looking excited, Enomoto leans forward eagerly. "So, we finally get to meet Yata-san today, huh? I can’t wait! It seems like today will be a lot of fun.”

Slumping forward on the table, Hidaka looks unhappy. “I know we’re all _so_ excited to meet Yata-san and all, but I’m not too sure today will be fun.”

“Why not?” Akiyama asks, brow raised, “Surely you’re not that jealous.”

“Shut up! I’m not jealous!” Hidaka says, face flushing slightly. “We all know how the captain’s parties are, is all I’m trying to say.”

For a moment, the group goes silent, the same memories of past parties and get-togethers undoubtedly passing through their minds. Not a single one of them had gone well, though some were less unbearable than others, at least. Munakata may have excelled when it came to academics and the like, but when it came to people, he was absolutely hopeless. It wasn’t like Fushimi could really judge him in that regard, considering he was no people person himself, but Munakata… he was a different story.

“W-Well, it can’t be too bad, right?” Enomoto tries, sounding hopeful. “I mean, Café Homra is going to join us this time, and Yata-san sounds like a very lively person. I think they might be able to help lighten things up.”

Pumping his fist in the air, Doumyouji livens up, “Yeah! That’s right! We just have to make the best of it today, is all.”

Smiling again, Akiyama nods, “I agree. Let’s try and have some fun.”

\--

The party was in ten minutes, and Fushimi could feel a small bit of anxiousness building within him, his leg bouncing restlessly. He wasn’t sure why he was feeling like this, though it probably had to do with the way Doumyouji looked at him before – his eyes plotting something unpleasant.

The rest of their time spent in the café went as usual, until Doumyouji decided to bring up that the theme of the party was centered on Valentine’s Day. No one seemed to get why he seemed so excited at the fact all of a sudden, but it became clear once Doumyouji asked if anyone was planning on giving out any chocolates. As expected, no one was, though Hidaka seemed hopeful to receive some somehow. It looked like Doumyouji was waiting for Fushimi to say he had decided to make some himself, which was completely ridiculous. After realizing Fushimi didn’t make any chocolates, Doumyouji finally left it alone – at least, he did so after Fushimi snapped at him for asking so many times.

The whole topic reminded Fushimi of the text Doumyouji had sent him the other day, asking him the same question. At the time, it didn’t really mean anything to him, just Doumyouji being his annoying, nosy self as usual. Now though, he was starting to feel like something was brewing, and Doumyouji was just waiting to rake in the results. Thinking about it now, Doumyouji had even mentioned Yata when he’d brought it up…

_Did Misaki make someone chocolates?_ They did go to that baking store the other day, after all. It wouldn’t be odd if the things he picked up really _were_ for Valentine’s Day, even if he had denied it at the time. _Maybe it’s for that guy they mentioned before?_ Feeling irritated, Fushimi internally clicks his tongue. Maybe that’s why Doumyouji seemed so smug talking with Yata lately, the two of them talking about pointless things like love interests.

He and Yata hadn’t talked about anything like that during the time they spent texting, only chatting about casual things like what Fushimi was studying at school, or new recipes Yata wanted to try out. It wasn’t like he didn’t like the content of their conversations, but why was Yata able to talk to Doumyouji about things like that, and not him? _Idiots, like I care._

Checking his phone, Enomoto pipes up, pulling Fushimi from his thoughts. “Well, we should get going, guys.”

“Ah, really?” Akiyama says. Shaking Hidaka’s shoulder, Akiyama tries to ruse him from his sleep. He had decided to take a nap less than an hour ago, despite everyone’s warnings for him not to. “Hidaka, get up.”

“Is it time already?” Hidaka yawns, stretching a little. “Can’t we stay for another five minutes….”

“By five minutes, you mean another hour? I don’t think so.”

Offering a small smile, Enomoto chuckles.  “You’re like his wife, Akiyama.”

Frowning, Akiyama sighs, “I know how he is, he’s almost impossible to wake up once he gets going.” Hearing a small snore, Akiyama tenses, “H-Hey don’t fall back asleep!”

“Mm…”

“H-Hidaka!”

Standing up from his seat, Doumyouji slings his bag over his shoulder. “Well, good luck with that you two, but I’m not going to be late!”

“Me either.” Fushimi says, getting up himself. It was bad enough that he had to attend some party, so being late and getting extra work thrown at him on top of it would’ve been one more punishment too many. “Later.”

“Wait, Doumyouji, Fushimi-san, come back!” Akiyama calls, sounding desperate.

“M-Maybe I should go too….” Enomoto says, packing his bag.

“Not you too!”

“But…”

“Enomoto, please, just for a little longer help me out!”

With Enomoto being lured back in, the two of them make their escape, already heading out the door.

Walking outside, Doumyouji skips ahead of Fushimi, obviously pleased with making it out of that situation. Fushimi was in the same boat, even if he didn’t necessarily want to head to the party alone with Doumyouji. It was fine though, he had something he wanted to ask him anyways, and he didn’t really need the others listening in. He had a creeping suspicion ever since Doumyouji brought up the whole chocolate thing, along with that look – as if he were implying something. If his line of thinking was correct, Fushimi was sure he wouldn’t like where things were headed.

“Hah! That was a close one, huh, Fushimi-san?” Doumyouji chimes, “I don’t think Hidaka will be on time for the party, if you ask me.”

Whether or not Hidaka made it to the party on time was none of Fushimi’s business. It was his own fault for falling asleep like that, considering he knew what time they needed to meet up. “Serves him right.”

“Blunt as always.”

Not offering anything back to that comment, the two of them walk together in silence before Doumyouji’s phone goes off, catching their attention. Taking it out of his pocket, Doumyouji’s eyes brighten. “Ah! It’s Yata-san. Apparently he’s at the clubroom with everyone else and it’s super awkward.” Snickering, Doumyouji types up a quick response, before shoving his phone back in his pocket.

They really did text a lot, it seemed. It was kind of irritating, somehow. Frowning, Fushimi stirs in his annoyance before his own phone goes off, his hands seeking it immediately. Seeing that name on his phone, Fushimi feels his spirits lift a little, already unlocking it to check the contents. _What am I getting so excited for?_ It wasn’t like they didn’t text enough as it was...

**Misaki:** will u get here already?? This place is boring as hell!!!

At that, Fushimi has to stifle a smile, a certain someone probably watching him. Snapping a photo of Doumyouji and the path they were on, Fushimi replies.

**You:** Shouldn’t you be working right now, Misaki?  
**You:** And we’re on our way, be patient.

**Misaki:** the party hasnt started yet smart ass  
**Misaki:** ur club president is waiting til everyone shows up and its makin things weird as hell  
**Misaki:** he gives me the creeps  
**Misaki:** he keeps staring at me….  
**Misaki:** he looks kinda familiar actually

Brows furrowing, Fushimi takes a moment to reply. He knew he had told the others not to say anything, but somehow, he had a bad feeling about this…

“Doumyouji,” Fushimi says, eyes narrowing, “Did you tell the captain about Misaki?”

Looking at him, Doumyouji gives Fushimi a questioning look, “What? No way! Why would I tell him about Yata-san?”

“Because you can’t keep your mouth shut.”

Looking offended, Doumyouji’s mouth drops, “Believe it or not, I _can_ keep secrets, you know!” Taking in the skeptical look Fushimi shoots at him, Doumyouji defends himself. “I’m serious! Like with Yata-san I didn’t say anything about-” Face paling, Doumyouji bites his lip as if to try and stop himself. That reaction alone was all Fushimi need to know he was correct.

_I knew he was up to something._

“What are you planning, Doumyouji?”

“N-Nothing!” Waving his hands in a panic, Doumyouji continues to blabber, “Just forget I said anything!”

“You’re up to something and I know it. Spill it.”

Averting his eyes, Doumyouji pipes up, “Well, um, let’s just say it’s not… _me_ who’s planning something…”

“… Misaki is?”

Well, it wasn’t too hard to guess with where he’d cut himself off, but Fushimi was under the impression that Doumyouji had something to do with it. Honestly speaking though, he probably was involved somehow, even if Yata was the one acting on it. Knowing the two of them, Doumyouji probably planted some idea in Yata’s head, and being the idiot he was, Yata probably fell for it without even realizing. Either way, it didn’t exactly matter why Yata was planning to do whatever he was planning, but rather, _what_ it was.

“Ah! I’ve said too much already, just forget it!”

Frowning, Fushimi looks back to his phone, ready to ask Yata what the hell was going on. If Doumyouji wouldn’t tell him, he’d find out from the source himself instead.

“Hey! Don’t tell Yata-san!” Realizing what Fushimi was up to, Doumyouji reaches for Fushimi’s phone, only to stumble as it’s pulled away just before he grabs ahold of it.

“Get away from me, idiot.”

“Fushimi-san, don’t say anything!” Putting his hands together, Doumyouji begs, his voice practically a whine. “Yata-san won’t trust me if you do. I promise it’s nothing bad, so just… don’t tell him, okay? Please!”

Noting Doumyouji’s sincerity, Fushimi hesitates for a second. It was odd to see him being so earnest, since he was usually one to run his mouth whenever he got his hands on something. But here he was, begging Fushimi to keep something a secret for once. It was shocking, but also had Fushimi wondering: What was so important that Yata could tell Doumyouji and not him?

Feeling annoyed with himself for even caring about something like that, Fushimi clicks his tongue. It wasn’t his business, and it was a waste of his time to even have worried about it at all. Something was seriously wrong with him lately, since when did he care about what other people did? “I wasn’t going to ask him, idiot. I’m just replying to him from before.” It was a lie but, whatever. What Doumyouji didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

**You:** Just ignore the captain, it’s for the best.  
**You:** Anyways, we’ll be there soon.

**Misaki:** awesome cant wait to see u!!  
**Misaki:** AND DMJYOUI  
**Misaki:** *DOUMYOUJI  
**Misaki:** CANT WAIT TO SEE U BOTH I MEAN

Raising a brow, Fushimi huffs a small laugh. Yata really could be an idiot sometimes. He couldn’t say he disliked that Yata was looking forward to him though, if he were being honest. It might’ve been… a mutual feeling. _Tch._

**You:** See you in a few.

**Misaki:** yea!! get ur ass over here

Snorting, Fushimi rolls his eyes. _Classy as always._

Taking note of the pleased sound coming from beside him, Fushimi glances over reluctantly to a smiling Doumyouji. “Who said they weren’t smiling at their phone before?”

Looks like Yata wasn’t the only idiot. How could he let his guard down while Doumyouji was there?

“Shut up.”

\--

Walking into the clubroom, it was just as awkward as Yata had made it out to be.

The room was decorated in a Valentine’s Day theme, with red and pink banners hanging along the walls, along with a few balloons. The desks that usually sat individually from each other were now pushed together into groups and covered with table cloths, making them into larger, makeshift tables. The festiveness of the area didn’t fit the current atmosphere at all, with everyone being just about silent aside from some hushed chatter and cheesy music the captain undoubtedly chose out himself. Most of the club members were there by this point, but they all looked… stiff and uncomfortable. _Figures._ This was usually how most of their events went, everyone waiting until their suffering was over while Munakata and his vice president tried to encourage them to all have fun.

It looked like Enomoto, Akiyama, and Hidaka were the only ones left to arrive, and Fushimi was even more grateful he hadn’t stayed behind. He didn’t want to be the blame for prolonging such an awkward situation, though he was glad he didn’t have to endure it as long as the rest of the members did. It was almost painful being there, and it hadn’t even been a minute.

Walking in further, Fushimi doesn’t miss the arrangement of long tables against the wall on the right side of the club room. Desserts covered the tops of each one, ranging from cakes, to cookies, and chocolates. There was also some food as well, though it was obvious they weren’t the main focus. None of it looked like it had been touched yet, but Yata had said Munakata was waiting until everyone showed up before getting things started. Fushimi didn’t party, but he was pretty sure that wasn’t how it was supposed to work, and seeing how tense things were, he knew he was right.

At the tables were people stationed at even intervals, waiting to serve. Most of them looked familiar from Fushimi’s times spent at Homra, and they all looked just as uncomfortable standing around as his own club members did. All of them aside from two men who were talking with Munakata and Awashima anyways, the four of them having what looked to be a pleasant enough conversation.

Fushimi recognized one as being the owner of the café, Kusanagi. He was currently talking to Awashima, a troubled smile on his face. The other man was someone he didn’t recall ever seeing or meeting. He was skinny, looked to be almost the same height as Fushimi – if not a little shorter, and had light brown hair. He was talking to Munakata with ease, and looked to actually be enjoying himself which was odd in and of itself. Most people seemed like they didn’t know how to act in the presence of his club president.

Yata was there too, standing not too far from them all. It seemed like he had noticed Fushimi first though, his eyes already on him as he looked over, meeting Yata’s waiting gaze. The moment their eyes meet, Yata’s seem to sparkle, a large grin taking over his features. Being the focus of an expression like that, Fushimi’s heartbeat speeds up, a small bit of excitement spreading throughout him. _Misaki…_ It had only been a few days since they’d last hung out, but it was nice seeing him again, and seeing the way Yata was looking at him, it seemed to be mutual. Yata looked like he was about to say something then, when suddenly Munakata also looks his way, his good mood already fading.

“Oya!” Munakata calls, apparently noticing their arrival, “How splendid of you two to join us, Fushimi-kun, Doumyouji-kun.”

Walking towards them, Doumyouji offers a smile. “Hello Captain! Hey Yata-san!”

Following behind him, Fushimi mutters in a low voice. “… Afternoon.”

“Yo, Doumyouji!” Offering a smile to Doumyouji, Yata looks over to Fushimi, a small smirk working its way onto his features. “You don’t have to sound so unhappy, Saru, this _is_ a party, you know.” Moving closer to where everyone stood, Yata stops just in front of him, hands on his hips. Glancing around the room, Yata frowns a little. “Well, kind of…”

Eyes lighting up at the use of Fushimi’s first name, Munakata glances to Fushimi. “Hooh? Fushimi-kun, could it be you two are friends?”

_Just ignore him…_

 “’Fushimi-kun’?” The man who had been standing beside Munakata says, perking up, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you!”

_What._

Taking note of Fushimi’s silence, the man offers an innocent smile. “Oh, sorry! I’m Totsuka Tatara, nice to meet you. I’ve heard that you and Yata are great friends!”

_Totsuka…_ That was the name Yata had mentioned before at the store, Fushimi recalled, the one who worked alongside Mikoto during his competitions. Yata had said he was away with Mikoto on a trip before, but being that he was here now, it looked like they had returned. Totsuka was the only one here he didn’t recognize though, meaning he was the only one to come? Fushimi wasn’t sure if he was glad about that or not, being slightly curious about this Mikoto character that Yata idolized so much. There was also a part of him was almost relieved in a sense, though he couldn’t be sure as to why that was.

“T-Totsuka-san!” Yata says, inching closer, “You don’t have to say it like that!”

“Why not? It’s true, right?”

Looking over to Fushimi, Yata’s face flushes a little, “U-Um…”

_Why are you looking at me like that?_ It left a weird feeling in Fushimi’s chest, seeing that look on Yata’s face, especially when it was directed at him. It was a weird, but pleasant feeling, and it was confusing as hell.

“They are great friends!” Doumyouji chimes, apparently taking it on himself to answer for Yata, “I’m Doumyouji Andy by the way, I’m also friends with Yata-san.”

“Oh, nice to meet you!”

“My, my, Fushimi-kun, I didn’t realize you were familiar with Homra,” Munakata says, glancing over at Yata for a moment before looking back over to Fushimi. “Now I see why Doumyouji-kun was so adamant they cater, not that I had any objections.”

“I’m glad you decided to hire us.” Kusanagi says, sounding business-like, “We’re always grateful for your patronage, Munakata.”

“Well, it has been a while since I’ve last paid Café Homra a visit, so I suppose this makes up for it. Although it is a shame that Suoh was unable to make it.”

_Guess that explains why Misaki thought he looked familiar._ Munakata was a customer at Homra, the realization sending an unpleasant chill throughout his body. To think that Munakata had known about Homra the whole time, and he had no clue, waltzing into the place without a care in the world. Just thinking about the fact that they could’ve run into each other while he was there gives him the chills. _I’ll have to be careful from now on…_ He would try, but now that Munakata knew about him and Yata, he had a feeling Munakata’s visits would begin to pick up again. He didn’t like the idea of running into Munakata outside of school, but he couldn’t just stop coming to Homra again. Not to mention how happy Yata always seemed to look whenever he’d visit…

 “Ah, yeah, King’s on a date right now!” Totsuka says, though he seemed to find it a bit funny. “It is Valentine’s Day, after all.”

  Sighing, Kusanagi shakes his head. “Hey now, Totsuka, Mikoto’s going to be upset if you say too much…”

“Whoops, sorry!” Totsuka says, not looking apologetic in the least.

“A date, hm…” Munakata says, seemingly contemplating something, “Hopefully our little get-together isn’t interfering with any Valentine’s Day plans at the moment.”

With those words, Yata seems to take interest, his gaze going straight to Fushimi, as if something had just occurred to him. His eyes go wide as their eyes meet, face taking on a shade of pink again as he looks away. _What’s his problem?_ Thinking about it though, Yata had never mentioned what his plans for today were…

“I’m sure it’s fine, most people go on dates and the like in the evenings, anyways.” Totsuka says, looking between Awashima and Kusanagi, a sly smile on his face, “Right, you two?”

_Hm, so that’s how it is._ It wasn’t like Awashima was one to talk about such things, but in the time the two had spent together, he had managed to pick up on a few things. The way she’d sneak off to take phone calls in private, the occasional times she’d show up to the club dressed up more than usual, a sort of glow to her. It wasn’t hard to guess she was seeing someone, though Fushimi had never pressed the issue.

Coughing, Kusanagi clears his throat, before Awashima interjects. “I suppose that’s correct, Totsuka-san, though I would be careful if I were you.” Her voice was stern, eyes frigid. Fushimi knew that tone of voice well enough from the times someone – usually Doumyouji or Hidaka – would screw something up to know to not to mess with her at times like this.

Taking the hint, Totsuka offers an innocent smile. “I was just saying!”

Apparently noting the casualty shared between the four of them, Doumyouji purses his lips, obviously curious. “If I can ask… do you all know each other or something?”

“Oh! We all went to high school together!” Grateful for the interruption, Totsuka directs his attention to Doumyouji instead, ignoring the piercing look Awashima was still giving him. “Well, except for Awashima-san – we were introduced to her by Munakata a few years ago at a different event.”

“Really?” Yata says, sounding curious, “Even Mikoto-san?!”

“Yup! Actually, he went to college here for a short while too, before dropping out to pursue his career as a pastry chef.”

For some reason, Yata looks impressed at that, “That’s so cool! Nothing stops Mikoto-san, huh?”

Feeling irritated, Fushimi frowns. What was so cool about dropping out? He could’ve pursued the same thing after or even while he got a degree, he didn’t need to go so far as to quit school.

“But what about you, Totsuka-san? You didn’t go to school here?”

“Ah, me? Hm, well I couldn’t really afford college so I didn’t go here, but… When King decided to take that path, of course I decided to go along with him!”

“So awesome!”

“Heh, right?”

Interrupting their shared positivity, Munakata sighs, looking almost disappointed. “It truly is a shame for one to drop out like that.”

“Well it’s fine, right?” Kusanagi says, offering a troubled smile, “Things are looking good for him now.”

“I suppose that’s true…”

Listening to his club president talking with these people, it almost felt surreal. To think he had people like this in his life… it was surprising. He didn’t really think his captain had any friends, if he were being honest, so seeing this side of him was completely unexpected. Not to mention he was more closely involved in Yata’s world than he would’ve liked, the observation leaving him feeling restless. The captain had a habit of meddling whenever he could, and now that Munakata knew he was… acquainted with Yata, he had a horrible feeling.

Hearing the door slam open, the conversation and Fushimi’s thoughts are cut off as Akiyama and Enomoto making their way inside. “S-Sorry we’re late, Captain!” Akiyama calls, while Enomoto hunches over, catching his breath.

“Do not fret, you two are just on time.” Munakata says, looking at his watch, the two of them sighing in relief. “What about Hidaka-kun?”

Taking a moment, Enomoto straightens himself up, “He should be on his way…”

Just then, Hidaka appears in the doorframe, looking just as haggard. “I’m… here! I’m not late!”

Tapping his watch, Munakata shakes his head lightly. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case, Hidaka-kun.”

“E-Eh? No way!”

“Thirty seconds late, you get five extra problems tonight, due in three days.”

Looking devastated, Hidaka’s hangs his head low. “Yes, Captain…”

_What did you think would happen, idiot?_ Seriously, neither Hidaka nor Doumyouji would ever learn.

Hearing the low mutter of ‘what the hell’ in front of him, Fushimi looks over to Yata’s confused expression, his brows furrowed as he took in the situation. It was amusing, seeing that reaction, though it reminded him of himself when he’d first heard about how strict Munakata was about being punctual. He had felt the same about it when he’d first joined the club, that it was ridiculous for someone to get in trouble for being late by such a small amount of time. It could still be annoying, but you got used to Munakata’s antics after a while.

“Hah! Serves you right!” Doumyouji says, laughing. “Now you’ll see how I felt.”

The last time Doumyouji had been late, Hidaka wouldn’t leave him alone about it, making fun of him the whole time. He still brought it up on occasion even now, but with this small victory, it looked like Doumyouji was finally free.

“Shut up, Doumyouji!”

 “Well then,” Munakata says, pushing up his glasses, “Let’s start the party, shall we?”

Looking to Munakata, Awashima gets a nod in return, her voice booming. “Everyone, let’s eat!”

\--

“So you’re Yata-san!” Enomoto chimes, clearly looking happy, “It’s nice to meet you! I’m Enomoto Tatsuya.”

Looking bashful, Yata scratches the back of his head, “Ah, same to you. You’re one of Saru’s friends, yeah?”

“Oh, yes! We don’t have any classes together, but we see each other often during club activities. Doumyouji’s the only one who shares a class with Fushimi-san.”

“Unfortunately,” Fushimi mutters.

Choking on his cake, Doumyouji coughs, “H-Hey!”

“Hidaka Akira, nice to meet you.” Is all Hidaka offers, still looking glum. Fushimi couldn’t tell if he was still sulking about being late, or if he just really wasn’t happy about meeting Yata. _Not my problem, either way._

“Oh, you too.”

They were all currently sitting at one of the tables, Enomoto and Hidaka getting a feel for Yata as they all chatted. It was almost like a repeat of the incident at the store, his club members being far too excited to meet him. They were all making a bigger deal out of the situation than necessary, and Yata’s awkwardness towards their enthusiasm only further served to prove his point in the matter. He couldn’t really stop them though, they were past the point where they’d listen to his complaints.

Yata had been working alongside the rest of his coworkers only minutes before, but after everyone had been dished out some desserts and food, Munakata had invited them to join in the festivities. Of course, Doumyouji took advantage of it immediately, calling Yata over to join them. Yata complied easily enough, smiling widely as he took a seat between Fushimi himself and Doumyouji.

With Homra added to the mix of the party, the awkwardness had surprisingly vanished, conversation flowing more naturally as Munakata was distracted by his old friends. It seemed everyone was relieved in that aspect, allowing them all to enjoy themselves more. With this, he would leave them all alone, and not try to suck them into some weird bonding activity as he often did.

It was still odd, having Yata conversing with everyone so casually though, and he couldn’t quite get used to it. He was used to it just being the two of them when they hung out, so like this, Fushimi felt a little out of place somehow.

Sighing, Fushimi stands up from his seat, the action grabbing everyone’s attention. “I’m going to get some fresh air.”

“Eh? Saru?”

Noticing the look in Yata’s eyes, Fushimi hesitates. It was almost as if he was silently pleading for him not to leave. Whether that was because he didn’t want to be alone with his nosy club members or because he wanted to be with Fushimi, he wasn’t sure, but he was leaning more towards the former. It was probably weird for Yata to be thrown in with a bunch of people he didn’t know, regardless of how social he was. Though, the thought that he only wanted Fushimi to stay there for that reason alone had a sort of disappointment settling within him.

Unsure of how to deal with what he’s feeling, Fushimi averts his gaze. “…I’ll be back soon.” Only managing a few steps, Fushimi hears Yata call out to him again before his sentence is cut off by an indignant squeak. _What the?_

Turning around, Fushimi watches as Doumyouji apologizes profusely, grabbing a handful of napkins. Yata had a troubled smile on his face, but he didn’t look annoyed. “Sorry Yata-san! I didn’t mean to spill my drink on you like that…”

“I-It’s fine,” Yata says, pulling his shirt taut, dabbing at the red stain, “I don’t think this will come off, though.”

Cleaning up what spilled on the table, Enomoto chastises Doumyouji, looking slightly panicked. “Seriously, Doumyouji! What are you doing?!”

“It was an accident!”

Standing up from his seat, Yata quits dabbing at his shirt, apparently giving up on the notion. Instead, he reaches for the hem of his white sweater, and begins to pull it over his head. What comes next has Fushimi’s breath catching in his throat, his eyes going wide.

Pulling the wet shirt over his head, Yata doesn’t seem to notice the undershirt he had underneath was being pulled up along with it, his whole torso being exposed. Fushimi knew Yata was fit, but seeing those tan, firm abs in person had his mouth going dry. Yata looked… way better than Fushimi would’ve ever imagined – not that he _had_ imagined such a thing – but now that he had seen it, he was starting to think that would begin to change. Watching as Yata continued to pull off his shirt, his abs flexing along with his bare arms as he did so, Fushimi feels his face heat up. He knew he was staring, but he couldn’t stop himself. _He looks so… so…_

Taking the shirt off completely, Yata’s head pops out of the opening at the bottom, when suddenly, his eyes lock with Fushimi’s. Fushimi was sure his face was flushed from seeing Yata’s naked torso, but if it wasn’t then, it definitely was now. Yata seemed shocked that he was being stared at, his own face going red as well, while Fushimi was just as shocked for being caught in the act. He was more surprised at his lack of self-control though, if anything. He had never really cared about anyone’s looks before, considering he was never really interested in _people_ in general, but seeing Yata like that… he couldn’t quite place what he was feeling. All he knew was that he didn’t exactly mind the accidental display – he didn’t mind it at all, really.

Yata looked a little awkward with how he was standing, his arms still stuck in the sleeves of his sweater. He didn’t really have the chance to take them out yet, not while the two of them had their gazes locked like that. Fushimi wasn’t exactly preoccupied with how Yata was standing at the moment, anyways…

“Ah, Yata-san, your shirt…” Enomoto says, those words being enough to snap the two of them out of… whatever what happening.

“Eh?” Tearing his gaze away from Fushimi, Yata looks over to Enomoto for a moment before glancing down at his midsection. “Ah! Shit, m-my bad!” Snaking out of the sleeves of his sweater, Yata pulls his tank top back down. Even with his abdomen now covered, it didn’t exactly help the situation much. The fabric of it hung low on his neck, revealing his collarbone, and those arms…

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi turns back around, needing to get himself out of there. He probably looked like a fool, standing there gawking. Not to mention Yata had caught him staring. It was nothing short of mortifying.

“Fushimi-san!” Akiyama calls, walking towards him. “Could you wait a minute?”

_Seriously?_

Stopping in his tracks, Fushimi scowls. “What?”

“Sorry, but could you take Yata-san to the bathroom to wash up?”

“Hah? Why do I have to?”

Offering a small smile, Akiyama points behind him. “We’re helping Doumyouji clean up, but… weren’t you going outside, anyways? It won’t be out of your way.”

Suddenly, that smile almost had a mischievous hint to it somehow. _Did he notice?_ It wasn’t impossible, considering how long he had been staring… If Enomoto hadn’t interrupted when he did, Fushimi wasn’t sure how long he would’ve continued to look at Yata for.

Unable to argue with that, Fushimi ignores Akiyama, calling out to Yata. “Come on, Misaki. Let’s go.”

“Oh! R-Right.”

\--

Exiting the club room, the two of them walk in silence for a few moments, still recovering from the awkward situation they had just walked out of. Fushimi's face didn't feel as warm anymore, but he was still a little restless about the whole thing. To think he'd been caught staring at Yata like that, and now here they were, together alone. Thinking about it, for all Fushimi knew, Doumyouji had spilled his drink on Yata on purpose. _No,_ _I'm being too paranoid._ Or was he? Fushimi had to admit it was well-timed, happening just as he was about to leave, and then there was that smile Akiyama had given him...

“Man, I can’t believe Doumyouji spilling his drink like that!” Yata says, breaking the silence that had built up between them. Holding up the sweater he’d taken off, Yata inspects the stain with a small pout. It might’ve been just slightly cute. Maybe. “I don’t think this will come off just by washing it in the bathroom…”

“What do you expect from an idiot?” Fushimi scoffs, taking a turn down the corridor. “Anyways, the bathrooms right there.” Pointing towards the men’s restroom, Fushimi’s ready to walk away, when Yata dashes towards it.

“Thanks, Saru! I’ll be back in a minute!”

_What?_ He didn’t expect him to wait for him, did he?

“Wait Misaki-”

With that, Yata shuts the door behind him, leaving Fushimi to his own devices. _This idiot…_ He didn’t have any reason to wait for Yata, but it wasn’t like he exactly had a plan for what he was going to do, anyways. He just wanted to get away from the party and his club mates interrogating Yata for a little bit, but he didn’t want to stand around here doing nothing either. _If it’s just us, then…_ Well, maybe he could wait, Yata said it wouldn’t be too long, after all.

\--

Looking at himself in the mirror, Yata’s face was slightly flushed. He had managed to act casual enough within the short amount of time he and Fushimi were walking together, but in reality, his mind and heart were racing. He knew Doumyouji had spilled the drink on him on purpose, that wink he’d given him being blatant enough for even Yata to get the hint.

“Chocolates, huh…” Face warming up even more, Yata splashes water on his face in an attempt to calm himself down a little. It was embarrassing, horribly so, but he’d gone and made them and now he had the perfect opportunity. They were alone now, and without any watchful eyes around – namely Totsuka-san – he could totally do it! It was nerve-wracking, but he worked hard on them, and like hell was he going to let that hard work go to waste. _Yeah, let’s do this!_

Drying off his face, Yata doesn’t bother with the stained sweater, throwing it on again despite the offending red mark on it. Fushimi was just outside and he didn’t want to keep him waiting any longer. Pushing the door open, Yata reaches into his pants pocket at the same time, pulling out the box only slightly before pausing, his breath catching in his throat.

Fushimi was a little farther down the hall from the bathroom now, but he was still in sight. He was talking to some girl, his back facing Yata while whoever he was talking to faced his direction. It didn’t look like she had spotted him, which Yata found himself being relieved of.

Taking in the woman’s appearance, Yata notes that she has blonde hair and pink glasses, and was sporting a short black skirt and matching crop top. Her outfit was showing so much skin that Yata could feel his face burning despite not actually being the one talking to her. _How can she not be embarrassed wearing something like that?!_ Staying put, Yata watches as the two converse, not wanting to interrupt whatever they were talking about.

 Ignoring the little voice in the back of his head telling him that he shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, Yata hides behind the door a little more, his ears perked as mild curiosity got the better of him “I couldn’t find you at the party, so I went looking for you.” The woman says, making Yata’s brows furrow. _Looking for Saru?_ Somehow the fact that a gorgeous woman had gone out of her way in search of Fushimi had Yata’s skin prickling. _Maybe she…_ Shaking his head, Yata forces himself to pay attention.

“What for?”

Reaching into her bag, the woman pulls something out, handing it over to Fushimi. “This.”

Immediately, Yata’s eyes widen at the sight, his stomach sinking in dread as he realizes what it is. _No way… that’s!_

Taking them from her hand, Fushimi almost sounds surprised. “…Chocolates? Hm, I didn’t think you were one for these.”

“Do you have a problem with it?”

“Not really...”

As if those words were the dealing blow, Yata feels a storm of unpleasant feelings brewing within him. _He doesn’t mind…_ It shouldn’t have been a big deal, and if anything, he should’ve expected something like this to happen. Fushimi was good looking and smart, after all. It was only natural that there’d be a few women out there wanting to give him some chocolates. It still stung in a way though, and Yata couldn’t exactly place why.

“Perfect, then we’re all good here.” Shouldering her bag again, the woman gives Fushimi a small smile, though Yata can’t see if Fushimi reciprocates it or not. In a way, he was grateful he couldn’t tell, because if Fushimi had reciprocated it, Yata couldn’t be sure how it’d make him feel. It was ridiculous to feel that way, but he hoped he hadn’t, honestly. He didn’t like the thought of Fushimi smiling at some unknown woman – at all. It was hard to admit, but Yata wanted to keep those fond smiles all to himself, even if he didn’t quite understand the reasoning as to _why_.

“Anyways, that’s all, I’ll be going now.” Suddenly, those green eyes move over to where Yata was, the two of them making eye contact briefly, sending shivers down Yata’s spine. It was almost as if he had been seen through somehow. It was only for a second, but her gaze was intimidating in a way that struck him at his core, only managing to add to the confusing mix of emotions churning in his stomach. Clenching his own box of chocolates, Yata watches as she flicks her eyes back over to Fushimi, giving him no time to react. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Fushimi-san.”

“…Thanks. You too, Hirasaka.”

With that, the woman – Hirasaka – walks off, the sound of her heels echoing down the halls. Staying in his spot, Fushimi opens the box, seemingly peering down at them. Yata couldn’t help but wonder what kind of face Fushimi was making as he watched him from where he stood. Was he happy about them? Did he care? How would he react when it was _him_ giving him chocolates instead?

Fingers twitching around the box in his pocket, Yata wasn’t sure how to feel about the whole idea anymore. He was so psyched up to give them to Fushimi just moments before, but after witnessing the exchange, he felt deflated somehow… The chocolates he made were meant to be a token of their friendship, but what were the chocolates that Hirasaka had given him meant to be? The most obvious reason would be that they were meant as a confession, but it didn’t really _seem_ that way from what he’d seen. Still, the fact that she had given Fushimi chocolates at all and that he had accepted them was enough to cause a squeezing feeling in his chest. Shaking his head, Yata shoves the box back into his pocket, reminding himself of where he was.  _Now’s not the time to be thinking about this._ If he stood there any longer, Fushimi would catch him for sure.

Opening the door fully, Yata steps out of the bathroom causing Fushimi to close and pocket the small box. “Sorry for the wait!”

Turning around, Fushimi meets Yata’s gaze, a small hum leaving his lips. “About time, Misaki. I was getting bored waiting for you.”

_He’s not gonna bring it up, huh…_ Frowning, Yata walks up to Fushimi, trying to hide his disappointment. It wasn’t like Fushimi had to tell him or anything… but still. “Shut up! It wasn’t that long.”

“I was still bored.”

“Well, it’s fine now – I’m here, right?” Walking past Fushimi, Yata motions for him to follow. “Let’s get back to the party.”

Sighing, Fushimi follows suit. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that…”

If it had been any other time, Yata would’ve probably taken that as a chance to have Fushimi all to himself a little bit longer, but in that moment Yata settles for a small smile. “Just come on.”

He needed to think a little more…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ik I said this last chapter but... this chapter got long so I had to stop it early lol. BUT unlike last time I already have the whole thing typed up so I'll be posting the second half here in about a week or two! This part along w the second one were really fun to write so I hope you all liked it and look forward to the rest!
> 
> Also I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to comment on my past chapters ;//u//; it can be really hard to keep writing when it seems like people aren't too into what you're writing so ahh,, your comments really motivate me for when I get stuck on this fic and I just wanted to say I appreciate it! Even if you haven't commented tho thank you for reading hehe it still means a lot ^^ 
> 
> -cough- Anyways... sappiness aside, comments are welcome as usual and thank you for reading! <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party shenanigan continues and more awkward sarumi encounters hehe. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Fuchsia again for helping me out!! You motivate me a lot more than you know and you're such an angel :') <3

Upon entering the clubroom, Yata begins to head for the table, only for Fushimi to turn in the other direction. “Where are you going now? You’re not trying to leave me alone with your friends again are you…”

“They’re not my friends.” Frowning, Fushimi points towards the food tables. “I’m going to grab something to eat.”

Eyes widening, Yata couldn’t hide the surprise in his voice. “You? _You’re_ going to get more food?”

“Could you quit acting so shocked? I’m only getting more because you made them.”

“E-Eh?” If anything, that just surprised Yata more, his face heating up. “You really like my desserts that much, Saru?”

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi averts his eyes. “Don’t get the wrong idea. You just never shut up about how great they are, so I figured I’d make sure they live up to the expectation.”

All Yata could think hearing that was that it was a very Fushimi-like response. Fushimi didn’t exactly grab a lot of food when everyone was being served earlier, but he knew for a fact that he did at least have _some_ of the desserts he had made personally – he was the one who served them to him, after all!

“W-Wait a minute, you already tried some earlier!”

Locking eyes with Yata again, Fushimi narrows his gaze. “Shut up.” Walking away, Fushimi doesn’t bother replying with anything more, already heading for the desserts.

Shaking his head, Yata huffs out a light laugh. _He could just admit he likes them._ Well, it was fine, he’d get him to admit it later on.

Making his way over to the table he was at before, Doumyouji stands up, quickly rushing towards him before he even got the chance. Looking excited, Doumyouji moves them towards a more secluded part of the room. “Yata-san! How did things go with Fushimi-san?”

Feeling his face flush, Yata looks around. “Can you keep your voice down?!” He didn’t need all of these people thinking something was going on between them. It was bad enough with just his friends, and if Totsuka-san caught wind of it while they were here, it’d be game over. “And with Saru, well…” Trailing off, Yata averts his gaze. He should’ve known Doumyouji would ask, he _was_ the one who had set up their alone time in first place.

“… Did something happen?”

Pursing his lips, Yata debates on telling him or not. He felt sort of lame admitting how down he was about the entire thing, but he didn’t want to spend the whole day worrying about it to himself, either. Today was Valentine’s Day after all, meaning that if he wanted to go through with it, he’d have to make that decision sooner rather than later.

“I saw…” Yata trails off, scratching at the back of his neck lightly. “I saw some girl give Saru chocolates.”

“Eh? Fushimi-san got cho-!”

Covering Doumyouji’s mouth, Yata sends him a glare. “Seriously, if you don’t shut up, I won’t tell you anything! Got it?” Getting a nod in return, Yata lets out a sigh. Taking his hand off Doumyouji’s mouth, Yata glances around the room again before continuing in a hushed voice. “I-I was going to give him my chocolates, but I went to the bathroom first. When I came out he was talking to some girl and… well, y’know…”

“What did she look like?”

“She was blonde, had pink glasses, and b-big… b-bo-” Face flushing, Yata shakes his head. “Point is, she gave Saru chocolates before I could! Now I’m not sure if I should give him mine or not… I think her name was Hira-”

“Oh! I think I know who you’re talking about! Hirasaka Douhan.” Doumyouji chimes, cutting him off. “If I’m right, she’s in another club. Jungle, I think it was? I’ve seen her and Fushimi-san hang out a few times around campus. Hidaka was so jealous too, it was hilarious.”

“They hang out?” Yata asks. If they had hung out before, that must’ve meant they were at least friends, right? Fushimi wasn’t one to sugarcoat things, so if he really didn’t like her, he wouldn’t have been spending time with her. “So maybe she does like him…” _And maybe he likes her back._ Frowning at the last thought, Yata tries not to let it get to him. He was seriously acting weird about this whole thing.

Brows raising, Doumyouji cocks his head at that. “’Like’? As in like Fushimi-san?”

“W-Well, yeah! Why else would she give him chocolates?”

“Ah… I don’t think it’s really like that.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Well, I guess since you don’t go here you wouldn’t know, but that girl totally has a thing for the vice president.” Noticing the confused look on Yata’s face, Doumyouji points over to where Kusanagi was currently talking to the woman he had met before, Awashima. “She always comes here to flirt with her! I think her and Fushimi-san are only acquainted because he helps her study or something, but other than that, I don’t think you need to worry about her.”

“B-But wait, what about the chocolates?”

“Mm, maybe they were in thanks? Fushimi-san does help her out a lot.”

Hearing those words, Yata starts to feel relieved, the tension that had built up leaving his body. “So it’s not like that then…” _That’s why he accepted them so easily!_ He didn’t know why it mattered so much, but it was almost like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Thinking about it, Fushimi did say he wasn’t into girls either – or he at least implied it. _Wait…_ _W-Why am I thinking about that anyways?!_

“What? Don’t tell me you were worried, Yata-san.” Smirking, Doumyouji elbows him, obviously catching onto his relief.

Feeling his face heat up, Yata pushes back on Doumyouji’s arm. “W-What! Why would I be worried over something like that?”

“You’re the one who said you weren’t sure if you should give your chocolates to him anymore.” He hums, looking pleased with himself. “Did you think you’d have to compete for Fushimi-san’s love or something?”

“L-L-Lo-” Unable to finish the word, Yata raises his fist in a mix of frustration and embarrassment. “S-Shut the hell up, you jerk! That’s not it!”

Stepping back, Doumyouji throws his hands up in mock surrender. “Well, anyways, now that that’s cleared up, good luck confessing to Fushimi-san later!”

“I-I told you it’s not like that, damn it!”

Laughing, Doumyouji scampers back over to the table, leaving Yata to his own devices. His face was obviously flushed, and he was slightly annoyed, but whatever. Doumyouji had helped him out in the end.

Noticing the lowered volume in the room, Yata reluctantly turns his head to catch a number of eyes on him from his sudden outburst. Pulling his beanie down a little, Yata clears his throat. Trying to ignore the looks he was receiving, he decides to follow Doumyouji’s lead, heading over to where everyone was still seated. He really didn’t need to draw attention to himself in a situation like this.

Sitting back down, Yata eats a few more sweets, going over the situation. _Seriously, I was worried for nothing!_ Fushimi didn’t like Hirasaka and Hirasaka didn’t like him. Assuming Doumyouji’s information was correct, at least. He might’ve only known Doumyouji for a few weeks, but it didn’t take long for Yata to find out he was… well informed. If anyone knew, it was going to be Doumyouji. _Well, I could always ask Saru…_  That was the best choice, in Yata’s opinion –  to hear it directly from Fushimi himself. They were friends after all, and friends talked things out, right? With that in mind, Yata feels himself perk up.

_After the party, I’m gonna talk to Saru and give him the chocolates!_

\--

Fushimi had no idea why, but he had been pulled into a conversation between Munakata and Totsuka. All he wanted to do was grab a few more of Yata’s desserts – in order to judge them thoroughly, of course – but had managed to run into the two of them along the way. He should've known better than to think he could just sneak passed quickly and quietly without getting caught. It only took a second for Munakata to notice him, that sing-song voice calling his name. It was vexing, but Fushimi knew there was no escaping.

He could tell immediately that these two were not a good combination, what with those knowing smiles and innocently poised questions. Fushimi had experience dealing with Munakata and it didn’t take long for him to realize that this Totsuka person was no better than him. He looked just as eager as Munakata to talk to him as they beckoned him over, if not even more. He tried to get out of it, he really did, but as he mentioned needing to get back to ‘Misaki’ and his clubmates, their interest seemed to peak even more so. That was his second mistake of the day: Calling Yata by his first name in front of them. Thanks to that, he had been subjected to annoying questions and obvious prodding.

In short, they were both nosy as hell, and they wouldn’t leave him alone.

"So, you're Fushimi-san, right?" Pointing his finger, Totsuka looks at Fushimi with bright eyes, the attention making him uncomfortable. "I've heard all about you, I'm so glad to meet you! Homra's been talking about you a lot lately."

_This again?_ It was the same thing he'd said before, about being glad to meet him, but Fushimi thought he was just going through niceties. He seemed like he genuinely meant it too, but Fushimi couldn't say he was pleased with that fact. If anything, he had a feeling that getting to know Totsuka would only make his life even more of a pain considering how friendly with Munakata he seemed to be. Then there was the fact that Homra was talking about him, which only made him wonder what they were saying about him to make some stranger excited about meeting him. _Probably stupid rumors again..._ If it was anything like how his club mates were reacting to Yata, he could only imagine Yata's friends.

Eyes glinting, Munakata takes his silence as a chance to join in instead. "Hooh, looks like you're quite the popular one, Fushimi-kun.” Pushing up his glasses, Munakata raises his eyebrows slightly before continuing, “As I mentioned before, I didn't realize you were acquainted with Homra. How interesting.”

_That was the point._

It seemed like Doumyouji and the rest really had managed to keep his... relationship of sorts with Yata a secret. It looked like that small semblance of bliss was over now, sadly, keen interest being shown on his club president's face.

"I wouldn’t say I’m exactly acquainted with them."

Smiling, Totsuka moves his finger to his chin in mock thought. “Mm, not exactly with Homra, but with Yata, right?”

Seeing that smile, Fushimi immediately catches onto what’s happening, a sort of understanding forming in his mind. _They want details._ He wasn’t sure _why_ they wanted details, but it was obvious as to why they had called him over now and why they both looked so excited seeing him. The captain was nosy under most circumstances – whether it was out of good intentions or just pure curiosity, Fushimi could never tell – but with Totsuka, he was even less sure.

He didn’t know much about him yet, but with the way Yata talked about him with such high regard, they seemed to be close enough friends. Not to mention with the way Homra reacted to seeing him and Yata together before, he figured that maybe Totsuka was just curious. _Doesn’t mean he can come and bother me, though._ It was annoying, but Totsuka was right – he and Yata _were_ acquainted, after all.

“Yata-kun, you say? If I’m not mistaken he is the one who made the desserts you have with you, is that correct, Fushimi-kun?”

_Seriously?_ How Munakata even knew that, he didn’t want to know.

Looking down to Fushimi’s dish, Totsuka’s eyes widen. “Oh! Yata’s desserts are really good, aren’t they? He’s learned so much in just the year he’s been working with us, it’s impressive!”

Nodding his head, Munakata agrees. “They were quite delicious. The taste of his desserts certainly have a hint of Suoh’s touch to them, I must say. However, that being said, he also seems to be building a style of his own.”

“Sharp as always, Munakata!” Looking pleased, Totsuka hums. “I thought the same thing as well as a few of the others, but I don’t think Yata’s noticed it yet.”

_Like Mikoto’s?_ Looking at his selection of sweets, Fushimi ponders how the two’s sweets tasted similar. Since he’d never had any of Mikoto’s desserts before, he couldn’t confirm what they said to be fact or not, but he was beginning to grow curious. He had to admit Yata’s desserts weren’t bad, but he did say he was striving to be like Mikoto before, so the thought wasn’t an odd one. If Yata’s desserts were beginning to take on a style of their own though, that had to mean they were getting better, right?

Piping up, Fushimi interrupts them. “Have you mentioned that to him before?”

Looking surprised at the inquiry, Totsuka smiles a little. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked… He had planned to lay low and let the conversation die as quickly as possible, but he had spoken up without meaning to.

“We haven’t told him, no. Yata really looks up to King, but it’s important for him to find his own style, no matter how much he wants to imitate him!”

“Doesn’t he follow his recipes, though? Isn’t it natural for his food to taste like his instructors?”

“Well, he used the recipes at first, but not for all of them. King talked to him about trying to find his own style, and he wasn’t really happy about it at first, but of course he listened in the end.”

“If you try to become exactly like someone else you may end up losing a part of who you are.” Munakata says. “That isn’t to say it’s wrong to look up to someone, however, but it is essential that one finds something that has meaning for themselves as well.”

“Exactly! He thought he needed to be exactly like King to be successful. He was a bit down after being told to find his own path, but he must’ve figured something out. He managed to pick himself up pretty quickly after and was working harder than ever!” Meeting Fushimi’s gaze, Totsuka’s demeanor turns more serious. “Some people might think Yata’s too simple or think of him as an idiot because of how he takes everything at face value, but that’s not all there is to him,” Tone lowering, Totsuka leans forward as if to add emphasis. “He can be really persistent – especially when it comes to things he really cares about. And even if he doesn’t quite know it, his instincts usually lead him in the right direction.”

Eyes widening, Fushimi’s heart speeds up a little. He wasn’t sure why, but it almost felt like those words held a sort of hidden meaning in them. He didn’t need Totsuka to tell him any of that though, even if he teased Yata a lot of the time, he… respected him. The way he fought for what he wanted to become so badly, the way he was always so positive, and how he faced things head-on. There was nothing for Yata to be ashamed of, no matter what others said about him. “…I know that already.”

Returning back to his cheerful self, Totsuka smiles. “Good!”

Humming, Munakata takes in their exchange, looking curious. “Hm, it’s unusual for you to be so interested in someone, Fushimi-kun. Surely Yata-kun must be a good friend of yours.”

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi looks away. “I don’t think any of that’s your business.”

“An expected answer from you, Fushimi-kun.” Huffing a light laugh, Munakata closes his eyes in what looks to be mild entertainment. Opening them again, he looks back to Fushimi with a content gaze. “I do suppose you’re correct in that regard though, it was just an observation on my part. Be it my business or not, I do hope you’ll allow me to wish for you two continue to get along. Yata-kun seems to be an excellent young man.”

“Wishing for it won’t make it happen.” Fushimi scoffs. “Don’t make it sound so easy.”

“Don’t worry about it, Fushimi-san! It’ll all work out in the end.” Totsuka says, beginning to walk away before looking over his shoulder. Waving a hand at Fushimi as a final goodbye, he throws him a wink before finishing, “I promise.”

To promise something like that, Fushimi couldn’t say he approved. There was no guarantee that relationships would work out, no matter how hard people fought for them. Deciding to keep those thoughts to himself, Fushimi lets it slide. “… Right.”

“Well, if you’ll excuse us, Fushimi-kun.” Smiling, Munakata follows suit, turning to follow after Totsuka. “Enjoy the party.”

\--

The party was officially over and Fushimi couldn’t be any happier. It ended up lasting for a few hours which was draining in itself, socializing aside. It was way more time than Fushimi would’ve ever liked to spend dedicating to club activities on a normal day, let alone on a day when he could be spending quality time alone in his apartment.

Having Yata there helped just a little bit, if he were being honest, his presence serving to entertain him as he teased him whenever the chance arose during his conversations with his club mates. He couldn’t say he approved of the teasing _he_ would get in return from his clubmates for doing so though, all of them pointing out how ‘close’ they were whenever he did. It would’ve been more annoying if it weren’t for the bashful, pleased expressions Yata would make whenever they’d make such comments.

It felt uplifting in a way, almost as if Yata actually _liked_ the idea of them being close. _Ridiculous._ Why would Yata care about something like that? They were just neighbors.

Just as Fushimi’s about to leave to go home with Doumyouji and Akiyama, Yata calls out to him, jarring him from his thoughts. “Wait, Saru!” Jogging over, Yata stops in front of him, looking relieved. “S-Sorry, but um, did you… wanna walk home together?”

Stepping back from the doorway, Fushimi faces Yata, who seemed slightly flushed for some reason. He was kind of surprised Yata had gone out of his way to ask him that, considering how busy the rest of Homra seemed to be. He didn’t mind it though, if anything, the idea was sort of appealing… They lived right next to each other too, so it wasn’t like there was any reason to deny the offer. “We could, but… Don’t you guys have to clean up?”

Scratching the back of his head Yata winces a little. “Yeah, but I was thinking if you didn’t mind you could wait or something?” Fushimi makes a face at the thought of having to stay there any longer, which Yata seems to take notice of. “I-I promise it won’t take that long! I’ll work really quick and-”

“Don’t worry about it, Yata-san!” Popping up from behind Fushimi, Doumyouji wraps his arm around Yata’s shoulder. The casual display of physical contact makes Fushimi click his tongue internally. _Since when were they so close?_ “I can stay back and help out, if they’ll let me.”

“E-Eh?”

“Me too.” Walking up to Doumyouji, Akiyama offers a smile. “I don’t mind.”

Eyes going wide, Yata seems to be at a loss for words, before breaking into a huge grin. “Really? You guys mean it?!” Craning his neck back, Yata calls out behind him to where the rest Homra was packing things up. “Totsuka-san, Kusanagi-san, is it alright if I leave early?”

“Yata-chan? Wanting to leave early?” Kusanagi asks, sounding perplexed. “That’s rare of you. Is something wrong?”

“A-Ah… not exactly, but…” Glancing back over to Fushimi, Yata’s face flushes. “I just have something I gotta do, is all.”

Hearing a cough, another voice pops in. “Or someone, you mean.”

“S-S-Shut the hell up, Eric!”

Laughing, Totsuka cuts in. “I don’t see why not! Yata always works really hard, I have no problem with it.”

“Mm, I think Totsuka’s right…” Nodding, Kusanagi smiles at Yata. “You deserve it Yata-chan, go ahead.”

“Seriously?! Awesome, thanks so much!”

“No problem.”

“Hey, that’s no fair!” Another one of Homra’s employee’s whines, pointing over to Yata. “Why does Yata get to go home early with his boyfriend, huh?”

Raising a fist in anger, Yata yells back, “B-Boyfrie- I fucking told you to _quit_ with that shit already!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Unlike _some_ people, Yata-chan doesn’t slack off and works hard every day.” Kusanagi says, showing no mercy. “Now get back to work, Bandou.”

Sulking, Bandou shakes his head. “This is unbelievable…”

“You two said you’d help out, right?” Totsuka asks, looking over to Doumyouji and Akiyama. “We would really appreciate it!”

“Sure thing!”

“Of course.”

Removing himself from Yata’s shoulder, Doumyouji smiles. “See you later, guys! Lemme know how it goes, Yata-san!”

Sending a glare towards Doumyouji, Yata bristles. “S-Shut _up!_ ”

“Have a good evening, Fushimi-san, Yata-san.” Akiyama says.

With that, the two walk off, waving their good byes.

“…What was that all about?” Fushimi asks, more than a little curious. Everything happened one after another, like everyone was working together to get them out of there as quickly as possible. Fushimi didn’t mind leaving early but… it was definitely suspicious.

Not to mention those comments… And what did Yata mean he had something to do? _Maybe this has to do with what Doumyouji mentioned earlier?_ If that was the case, he was really starting to regret not getting it out of him before, a sort of anxiety building within him at what Yata could be planning. Doumyouji had said it wasn’t anything bad before, but that didn’t help his nerves much.

“N-Nothing! It’s nothing.” Turning back around, Yata faces Fushimi again, though he wasn’t meeting his gaze anymore.

“Hm… you’re acting weird, Misaki.”

“W-Whatever. Just… let’s go already, yeah?”

\--

The campus wasn’t too far from where their apartment complex was, but it was farther than the walk from Homra. That was one of the reasons he had decided to move to where he currently lived in the first place, the location being more than convenient. The price was relatively decent too, which though Fushimi didn’t have a problem with money – living solely off a scholarship he’d managed to receive from his grades all throughout school, aside from a few odd jobs here and there – he didn’t really care about living somewhere fancy.

He had learned long ago that things like that didn’t mean anything, that being in an ornate, big home by yourself wouldn’t grant you happiness. It might’ve looked appealing at first glance, but Fushimi found the bigger the space he lived in, the more trapped he felt. He knew why he felt that way, memories of that man and woman coming back to haunt him on occasion, but he was slowly moving passed it. He… was trying to move on, to get better, and it felt nice being independent. Being able to provide for himself helped, cementing the reality that he had finally escaped that hell of a home.

Back then, getting out of there was his top priority, but he had to admit he didn’t think choosing where he’d live would affect him like _this_. Of all the things he had calculated and anticipated, meeting someone like Yata was nowhere on the list.

He couldn’t say it was a bad thing and though he wasn’t one to believe in fated meetings or the like, he felt like he would’ve probably met Yata regardless of whether they were neighbors or not. The fact that Munakata was so well acquainted with Homra and that he went to school so close to where Yata worked, it only seemed natural they’d run into each other at one point. In the end, things had winded up like this, and he really… didn’t mind it. Being with Yata, that is.

They had been walking home together for a good fifteen minutes, a slightly awkward silence beginning to loom over them. Things had been going like usual, their typical banter making the trip home a lively

Within a few minutes, their fun atmosphere had reduced to Yata fidgeting around, his gaze occasionally flicking over to look at him briefly. Whenever he’d look over himself to catch onto that gaze, Yata would open his mouth as if he wanted to say something, before quickly closing it and averting his eyes. It was odd, and only caused the anxiousness within him to manifest. Fushimi wasn’t sure what to do in a situation like this. Usually Yata would be the one to fill any silence that occurred between them, but it looked like that wouldn’t be happening this time around.

Feeling flustered, Fushimi takes in their surroundings to ground himself, the streetlights already beginning to illuminate the path they were on. With the party going on for as long as it had, the sun was already beginning to set, but as he looks over to Yata again, he could still make out the obvious flush on his face. It made his heart rate speed up seeing that along with the current mood, and frankly, Fushimi wasn’t sure how to handle it. What did this sort of atmosphere even _mean?_

Just as he was about to make some comment just for the sake of putting a stop to it all, Yata’s voice pipes up, his heart squeezing at the words.

“Hey, Saru… Can I ask you s-something?”

Trying not to let it get to him, Fushimi replies in an even tone, “What?”

“It’s… It’s nothing bad, but I was just curious about something, I guess.” Pursing his lips, Yata doesn’t wait for Fushimi to say anything before continuing, “W-When you were waiting for me while I was in the bathroom, I kinda saw what happened. With that… girl I mean…”

_A girl?_ Thinking back on it, Fushimi recalls the chocolates in his pocket. He had forgotten all about it, honestly… “Ah, you must mean Hirasaka. The blonde girl, right? What about her?”

“W-What about her?” Yata sputters, eyes widening. “She gave you c-chocolates is what!”

Raising an eyebrow, Fushimi looks to Yata. “…And your point is?”

“My _point_ is that d-doesn’t that mean she… y’know, confessed to you? Or whatever…”

Finally understanding what Yata was getting at, Fushimi almost couldn’t believe it. Yata had witnessed that small interaction, and had gotten a confession out of it? Hirasaka had given him chocolates, sure, but she didn’t say anything that could be misconstrued in such a way. Or at least, he didn’t think so. “She didn’t confess, idiot. She was just giving them to me out of obligation.”

“…Obligation?”

Sighing, Fushimi reaches into his pocket and pulls out the small box, handing it over to Yata. “See for yourself.”

Taking the box, Yata opens it, looking over the contents, understanding making its way onto his features. “What the…”

“Get it now?”

Closing his eyes, Yata lets out a relieved sounding huff. “Seriously? Who writes ‘obligation’ right on top like that?”

“Hirasaka does, apparently.” Shrugging, Fushimi peers down at Yata. “Why are you asking about this anyways?”

“E-Eh? Ah, well…” Scratching at his nose, Yata hands the box over to Fushimi, not offering anything more than that.

“Hm, don’t tell me you were jealous, Misaki.”

He doubted it, but seeing Yata’s reaction, Fushimi couldn’t help but feel butterflies form at the thought. _To think Misaki had been acting weird because of something like that…_ He almost felt pleased at that thought. Elated, even.

“I-I wasn’t jealous!” Yata exclaims, looking embarrassed. “I was just… curious, is all.”

“So you say.”

“ _Yeah,_ so I say, asshole. Got a problem with it?”

“Not really… But I don’t see why you’d need to know about something like that.”

“Ahhh just drop it, already! This is getting embarrassing!”

“You’re the one who asked.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

With that, the two go silent again, their apartment building now in sight. _We’re almost home…_ For once, Fushimi didn’t really feel like going back just yet. There was something he kind of wanted to ask Yata too, now that the topic of chocolates had been brought up. Pushing back his anxiety, Fushimi pipes up, not wanting to let the chance slip by. “…What about you?”

“Huh?” Looking confused, Yata’s brows furrow. “What about what?”

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi looks away. “What else would I be talking about?” Not getting an answer, he continues, “Chocolates, idiot. Did you get any?”

“O-Oh, right. No, I didn’t get any… Why?”

“Just curious.”

Smirking, Yata doesn’t seem to mind hearing his own words being thrown back at him. “What? Don’t tell me you’d be jealous if I did.”

“No. Shut up.”

_Guess that’s why he didn’t mind._ He should’ve known Yata would be keen on pulling the same trick if he was given the chance.

Seeming pleased with himself, Yata puffs up. “Heh, that’s what I thought. But… I don’t mind that I didn’t get any chocolates.” Laughing a little Yata shrugs. “I probably sound really lame but, I’ve never gotten any before, so it’s not really a letdown or anything.”

“It’s not lame,” Fushimi says, finding himself adding onto the topic without really meaning to. “I’ve never received any either – well confession ones, anyways.”

“Heh, I believe that. Since you’re kind of an ass.”

“Wha-” Caught off guard, Fushimi clicks his tongue. “It’s not my fault everyone’s so annoying.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.” Letting out another laugh, Yata goes silent again.

The atmosphere felt lighter than it had before, but Fushimi couldn’t help but feel that things were still off somehow, that awkward tension still there. What did Yata mean by he had something he had to do, anyways? So far all they did was talk a little. _Maybe it’s got nothing to do with me._ Or, so he would’ve thought, if Doumyouji hadn’t made it so obvious before. Not to mention how Yata seemed to want to walk home with him _while_ saying he had something he had to do. It was driving him up the wall thinking that Yata had something he needed to say or do, especially with the way he’d been acting.

Jogging ahead of him, Yata opens the gate to their building, letting Fushimi through first, leading them up the stairs towards their apartments. Fushimi didn’t miss the flush that had returned to Yata’s face as he passed by, only adding to his suspicion that he was waiting to execute whatever he was planning. Things were just going back to normal too, and Yata was already acting weird again.

Nearing his door, Fushimi frowns, a sinking feeling in his stomach. It was ridiculous, he had been with Yata for hours, and yet… it almost felt like it wasn’t enough. Internally kicking himself, Fushimi ignores it, opting to just get things over with.

“Anyways, Misaki, I’ll be going now.” Opening his door, Fushimi looks back to Yata.

“O-Oh, yeah… See ya, Saruhiko.”

_Guess it had nothing to do with me after all._ He hadn’t realized it until that moment, but as he turned back to make his way inside, Fushimi felt disappointment work its way through him. Feeling surprised with himself, Fushimi has to do a double take with that information. _Did I get my hopes up?_ There was no reason for him to, so why…

“S-Saru, wait!”

Just as he’s about to close his door, Yata’s voice snaps him out of his thoughts. Before he even has a chance to answer, he feels the door being pulled forward, taking him along with it, his hand still on the knob. _What the-_

Losing his balance, Fushimi falls forward, his eyes locking with Yata’s just before he makes impact. _Ouch…_ He had fallen hard, but with Yata beneath him, it was probably safe to say he had gotten off easy. He could tell Yata was in pain, a hiss leaving his mouth along with a curse.

“Misaki, what the hell were you –” Opening his eyes, Fushimi’s sentence stalls.

He had landed on top of Yata’s chest, hands gripping at his shoulders from trying to keep his balance before falling. Their faces were close, barely inches apart and Fushimi felt like he was about to short circuit. It was a familiar situation, the two of them falling on each other in a similar manner the first time they had hung out while doing the dishes. It didn’t mean anything then, but somehow… it felt different this time, as if being this close to Yata had him burning from the inside out. Yata’s eyes were on him just like before, bright and vibrant as always and it had his heart beating fast in his chest. _What is going on with me?_

“S-Saruhiko…”

At the same time Yata says his name, Fushimi feels something tighten on either side of his waist slightly. He knew what it was instantly, and it only worsened his internal crisis. Yata’s hands were on both of his hips, probably in a late attempt to and keep Fushimi from falling over, and it was close to driving him insane. He wasn’t used to so much physical contact – hell, he didn’t _want_ to be used to it – but as he lay there on top of Yata, the two of them pressed together closely, Fushimi couldn’t say he minded.

Eyes trailing from Yata’s eyes to his lips, Fushimi forgets to respond, too caught up in _Yata_ to think about anything else. Yata’s lips were partly open, and he found himself committing the image to his memory; their shape, and color, the way they were slightly chapped… It was fascinating – it felt as if he could stare at them for hours.

Licking his own lips, Fushimi watches as Yata does the same, the two of them taking each other in. He could feel Yata’s heart beating in his chest under his hand, the pace just about matching his own. Tightening his grip on Yata’s shoulder, Fushimi’s eyes flick back to meet Yata’s hazels ones, which now had a dazed look to them. _Maybe… if I just…_ Inching closer just barely, Fushimi doesn’t get to finish that thought, a voice calling out to them.

“Oh my! Are you two alright?”

Snapping out of his trance, Fushimi cranes his head to the side, only to find it’s one of their neighbors peeking through her doorway, a worried look on her face. _She probably heard us fall…_ Clicking his tongue, Fushimi looks back to Yata one last time, his heart fluttering in his chest. Yata’s face was decorated with a light dusting of pink that spread from his cheeks to his ears, and his eyes were lidded. _Misaki looks… good._ Flushing at his own honesty, Fushimi bites his lip before getting up reluctantly, Yata’s hands slipping from his waist.

_What the hell was I about to do, anyways?_

It wasn’t like him to get wrapped up in the moment like that – and the most annoying part about it was that he felt irritated at being interrupted.

“W-We’re fine!” Yata stammers belatedly, picking himself back up. “We just t-tripped… is all.”

“I heard! It sounded like quite the fall!” Putting a hand to her cheek, the woman looks between the two of them. “Be more careful next time, you two! Don’t want you getting hurt.”

“S-Sorry, we will!” Nodding, the woman goes back inside, Yata breathing out a breath of relief. “Seriously…”

_You could say that again._

Looking back at each other again, both of their faces turn even redder.

Scratching at the back of his head, Yata purses his lips, looking more than embarrassed. Those pink, slightly chapped lips… _Stop._ Trying to break out of whatever he was feeling, Fushimi breaks the silence. “What did you think you were doing, pulling my door like that?”

“E-Eh? Ah, I just... needed to tell you something.” Shoving his hands into his pockets, Yata looks away. “Or… give you something, actually…”

Eyes widening, Fushimi’s stomach does a flip. _Could he really be…?_

Meeting Fushimi’s eyes with determination, Yata steps closer. “I-I wanted to give them to you earlier but, well…” Pulling a small box out of his pocket, Yata hands it over to Fushimi, face more than a little flushed. “Happy Valentine’s Day, S-Saruhiko.”

For a moment, Fushimi just stares dumbly at the box in front of him, pure disbelief paralyzing him. When it hits him that Yata was in fact, giving him _chocolates,_ Fushimi couldn’t help the blush that arose on his face.

It was embarrassing and confusing, but he might’ve been… a little happy. It was a complete contrast to when Hirasaka had given him chocolates before and Fushimi didn’t know what to make of that revelation. Resisting the urge to shake his head, Fushimi couldn’t believe himself. To be this happy over chocolates… it was unbelievable.

Even if it felt ridiculous to care about such a small thing, he couldn’t help it. The thought that Yata had gone out of his way to make him chocolates and had been acting awkward this whole time because of it was just too much for him to process. Taking the box from Yata’s hands, Fushimi just watches as Yata continues to blabber, unable to form words himself.

“I know you don’t r-really like to, y’know… call people your friends, but…” Biting his lip, Yata looks away for a second before pressing on. “I consider you a good friend and, well, I hope it’ll stay that way!”

_Ah._ Somehow, that last part stung a little.

“…You made these as friends?”

Nodding, Yata scratches at his nose. “Well, y-yeah, I really like you so, I just thought I’d show you, I guess. You’re really cool, and super smart and all that. You’re lotsa fun to hang out with, too! So… yeah.” Shrugging, Yata finishes with that as he rocks on his heels. It did strange things to Fushimi’s heart, seeing such a pure display.

Letting out a rueful laugh, Fushimi closes his eyes. He didn’t understand the rollercoaster of emotions he had gone through today – all over them being related to Yata – but he couldn’t be disappointed hearing something as earnest as that. Yata thinking so highly of him was baffling to say the least, but it had a warm feeling spreading throughout his chest.

Hearing Yata call him a friend… _I guess it doesn’t sound that bad._ He might’ve liked Yata a little too. Or rather, he had to, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so happy about any of this. It was unnerving, honestly, but it wasn’t unpleasant either.

“…Thank you, Misaki.”

“Ehe, no problem!” Offering a huge grin, Yata finally seems to relax. “Anyways, that’s it so… Guess I’ll get going now. G’night, Saruhiko!”

“Night, Misaki.”

Turning to leave, Yata takes a few steps, before turning back around. “Ah… Saruhiko.”

“Mm?”

“I know I said I don’t mind not getting anything on Valentine’s Day, but…” Tugging on his beanie, Yata tries to form the words. “I-If anything… I wouldn’t mind getting chocolates on White Day, or s-something…” With that, Yata turns back around, making his way to his door. “A-Anyways, night!”

Dumbstruck, Fushimi watches as Yata slips into his apartment, his face hot. Yata was definitely not good for his heart, saying things like that. Motioning to move back inside, Fushimi smiles to himself.

_Guess it wouldn’t hurt to look up some recipes…_

Chocolates couldn’t be too hard to make, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe how'd you guys like that almost kiss? It's so satisfying being able to write more of the lovey stuff... it's slowly coming together ;0; And I know I'm the one writing this but tbh I am dead... I WANNA GET TO THE GOOD STUFF ALREADY. Slowburn kills. I do not recommend writing it. 
> 
> As always comments are appreciated and I hope this chapter was enjoyable ^o^ See you all soon!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh sorry for super late update!! I was in a writing slump for a bit then got busy w sarumi fest and life. Regardless tho I hope you guys like it and the next chap will be out a LOT sooner since I already have it typed up :D Again thank you to Fuchsia for reading this over and cheering me on!! You're such a sweetie <3

Sitting at one of the booths at Homra, Yata spaces out a little as he bounces his leg in anticipation. It was slow in the shop today, the usual hustle and bustle atmosphere replaced with a more relaxed one. It was relatively quiet aside from the chatter between Bandou, Eric, and Kamamoto who were seated with him and the faint sound of music Kusanagi would always play throughout the place. As much as Yata liked seeing Homra flourishing with customers, days like these weren’t too bad either.

Checking the time on his phone, Yata sighs, trying to keep his nerves from building up within him. _He’s late…_ He had been off the clock for around twenty minutes and was currently waiting on Fushimi to show up. He was running late though, so Yata had decided to stick around and hang out with his friends while they were on break to pass the time.

It was getting hard to keep up with their conversations as his mind began wandering. He couldn’t stop thinking about Valentine’s Day and what had happened. He was extremely happy when Fushimi had accepted his chocolates, but what had been lingering on his mind was something else. Instead, he kept finding himself thinking back to what had occurred just before…

He couldn’t get the image out of his head; Fushimi on top of him, their faces close. He hadn’t meant for Fushimi to trip like that but he wasn’t complaining about it, either. It had hurt, but the pain was quickly forgotten with those blue eyes on him. It was just like the first time they had hung out when Fushimi had slipped on water and fell on top of him. Yata was mildly flustered when it had happened then, but it was nothing compared to how it was this time around.

He couldn’t forget the grip of those long, slender fingers on his shoulders, of Fushimi pressed up against him, and how warm his body was. It was only for a moment, but he had held onto Fushimi too, his hands biting into Fushimi’s hips. He could feel his face heating up just from the memory of it. He knew Fushimi was thin, but the jut of those hips against his palms and the slim, hovering figure of Fushimi above him had butterflies running rampant in his stomach. It was confusing, yet gratifying, feeling that way.

_Saruhiko…_

He really wanted to see him soon… Thinking back on that moment, he had said Fushimi’s name then too, his voice coming out more strained than expected. He didn’t get an answer at that time, Fushimi seemingly preoccupied with… with… _Ahh!_ Ruffling his hair, Yata’s leg began to bounce rapidly underneath the table as his thoughts continued to plague him.

That. That was the part he couldn’t figure out. Rather, he couldn’t figure out a lot of things when it came to Fushimi. Like why being so close to him had felt so right or why he felt disappointed when it had ended. Then there was the way Fushimi had licked his lips while looking at him and how he had done the same… All those moments were warring for attention in his mind, but when he thought back to the way Fushimi looked at him, the way he almost seemed to have been moving closer… Yata short-circuits.

Maybe he was just imagining it... Fushimi was probably motioning to get up or something. Or he hadn’t moved at all – his mind playing tricks on him. As much as he tried to tell himself that the past few days, a part of him couldn’t dismiss it. Fushimi’s grip on his shoulder tensing momentarily, those long lashes going half-mast… It felt like Yata was anticipating something in that moment, only for their neighbor to interrupt. He couldn’t deny the dissatisfaction he’d felt when Fushimi had pulled away and moved to get up. It felt as if something was about to change in that instant but Yata couldn’t exactly place it.

Sighing, Yata bites his lip. If… If Fushimi really was moving forward at that time, then what was he planning to do? _Agh, this is too complicated!_ He had been going through a loop with the same thoughts and had yet to come up with anything. All he knew was that he couldn’t get that moment out of his head and no matter how many times he recalled it, it never failed to get his heart racing again.

It didn’t help that he had planned to meet up with Fushimi at Homra after his shift ended, which also happened to be around the same time as when Fushimi got out of Scepter 4. Knowing that Fushimi would be there at any minute only made him think about it more and it was driving him crazy.

It didn’t take that long to get from Fushimi’s university to Homra and Yata was beginning to grow anxious. They didn’t have anything major planned, but amidst all his confusing thoughts, he was still excited to see Fushimi. Hell, he always was when it came to being with him. They never failed to have fun together no matter what they did and Yata always found himself looking forward to the next time they’d hang out.

Glancing at his phone again, Yata frowns. _Maybe I should text him?_ No. It had only been around half an hour and Fushimi had said he’d be there soon. Plus, he didn’t want to seem _too_ excited, otherwise Fushimi would tease him for it, no doubt. Sighing again, Yata slumps back in his seat. If he had known he’d be so impatient he would’ve met Fushimi halfway there instead of waiting at Homra.

“Yata-san…” Kamamoto says, sounding worried. “Are you okay?”

“Eh? What do you mean?” Meeting Kamamoto’s gaze, Yata puts his phone back down. “I’m totally fine!”

Sounding unconvinced Kamamoto frowns. “I’m not so sure about that…”

“Quit lying to the man!” Bandou says, pointing a finger at Yata accusingly. “We’ve been listening to your ass sighing and groaning the past half-hour!”

“I-I haven’t been sighing _that_ much!” And groaning? Had he really been doing that aloud? The whole thing with Fushimi must’ve been affecting him more than he had originally thought. “And I wasn’t groaning, damn it! You’re over-exaggerating, asshole.”

Stirring his milkshake, Eric raises his eyebrows without looking up. “It’s annoying no matter how much you do it, chihuahua.” Pausing to make eye contact, Eric continues, “Also, yeah, you _have_ been groaning. A lot, actually. Would you mind keeping it down?”

“I wasn’t –” Noting the dubious looks he was getting, Yata gives that one up. “Che, whatever, fuck off!”

“Yata-chan,” Kusanagi chides, voice level. He never liked it when they cursed during work hours, but Yata had a hard time abiding by that rule sometimes. _Especially when everyone’s being an asshole!_ “Ya have been sighin’ quite a bit. Is somethin’ wrong?”

Deflating a little, Yata looks over to where Kusanagi was currently leaning against the counter leisurely. “Ah, no! It’s nothing... I’m just waiting on Saru is all.” Shrugging, Yata scratches at his nose. “We’re supposed to hang out soon, but he’s running late.”

“Oh, Fushimi-san!” Totsuka chimes, popping out from the back kitchen. He was holding a tray of cupcakes in each hand, ready to restock the desserts. They may not have been busy at the moment, but they would be hitting another peak hour soon. Chitose was behind him too and Yata was beginning to feel that their arrival was a little too convenient. “How’d it go with him the other day? I was really surprised when you asked to leave early!”

Face heating up, Yata tries not to act too obvious, his mind automatically returning to the scene he was just thinking about. “W-What do you mean? We just w-walked home is all…”

Great. Perfectly normal.

“Yeah, right!” Bandou scoffs, clearly not buying it. “You never leave early and you even said you had something to do!” Elbowing Eric, Bandou asks for confirmation. “Right, Eric?”

Nodding, Eric seems to take pleasure in where things are headed. “Not to mention your face was super red.”

“T-That’s because you went and said weird shit!”

“What, about doing him?”

“D-Don’t say it so casually!” Hands bracing on the table, Yata moves forward a little in the heat of the moment. “We’re not like that! It was… it was really nothing!”

“Convincing.”

“So,” Chitose interrupts, sauntering over towards the booth. He had a smug look on his face, and Yata didn’t like it one bit. “What was it that you needed to do so badly you went and left work early?”

“That’s none of your business, jerk!”

“Boys, don’t tease Yata-chan too much.” Kusanagi says, though he looked to be amused. “You’re goin’ to give him a heart attack.”

“We’re not teasing him!” Chitose says, voice airy. “We’re just worried about our boy, is all.”

“Che, doesn’t sound like it! You’re all just being nosy!”

Shrugging, all Chitose offers is a sly smile.

_Fucker._

“Wait a minute.” Putting his hand to his chin in thought, Bandou’s brows furrow. “Now that I’m thinking about it, that was a Valentine’s Day party we catered.”

 _Fuck…_ Bandou had barely said anything, but just the mention of that day had Yata’s leg bouncing even more under the table. If Bandou figured it out, then he was really screwed, especially with the way everyone was already interrogating him.

“’Now that I think about it’,” Eric repeats, “Yeah, right. Says the one who was whining for two straight weeks before the actual day about being single…”

Looking offended, Bandou defends himself, “Hey, that’s not true!”

“To be fair, he complains about it just about every day,” Chitose adds, looking at Bandou with pitiful eyes. “You poor, poor thing…”

“Pfft.”

“I do fucking not!” Face slightly red, Bandou nudges Eric for laughing at him. “A-And besides, that’s not the point here!”

“What were you saying then?” Kamamoto asks, trying to move the conversation along. “We all know it was a Valentine’s Day party already…”

Huffing, Bandou pushes up his sunglasses, getting back to the point. “Okay, but… don’t tell me Yata actually went and did something for Valentine’s Day and that’s why he left?!”

Face burning, Yata stays silent as if the act would make him invisible. He couldn’t deny it – he _had_ done something for Valentine’s Day, but it wasn’t like they were thinking. It didn’t really matter though, he already knew he was dead meat.

 _I really should’ve met up with Saruhiko, after all!_ Had he done so, he could’ve avoided this horrifying situation. But as it was, it was far too late, everything unfolding itself before his eyes.

Laughing a little, Chitose waves a hand in the air. “Yeah right, there’s no way Yata would –” As Chitose looks over to Yata, his sentence stalls, catching sight of his obvious embarrassment. “No way… Yata, did you for real?!”

Ah. He really wanted to disappear in that moment.

“I-I didn’t! You guys just – just s-shut the hell up already!”

Baffled, Bandou’s mouth drops. “Holy shit… he really did.”

“Nice, Yata-san!” Kamamoto cheered, reaching over the table to ruffle Yata’s beanie. “I bet Fushimi-san really enjoyed it!”

“I-I’m telling you guys I d-didn’t do anything!”

“Give it up, Yata.”

 _Fuck me._ Being such an open-book really sucked ass sometimes.

“So? What’d you do? Did you give him a gift? Did you confess?” With each question Bandou asked, he moved closer to Yata, the space between them growing uncomfortably small.

Leaning back a little, Yata’s face burns even more. “C-C-Confess… What the – I don’t like Saru like that!”

“You’re kidding, right?” Raising an eyebrow, Chitose looks skeptical. “You’re totally into him, it’s obvious.”

Him? Into Fushimi? _T-That’s not…_ Thinking back to those smoldering eyes that hovered above him, that thought falters. To like Fushimi would mean to want to date him, to want to hold hands, to… to ki –

“Maybe chocolates?” Totsuka hums, the word stealing Yata’s attention. “Anna did say you were helping her make some for King before…”

With that, Yata just about bursts into flames, the weight of the situation and his thoughts doing him in. This was it – he had lost and he didn’t even need to say a damn thing.

Snapping his fingers, Bandou looks excited. “That’s it! Damn, you gave him chocolates? Fucking nice, dude!”

“I-I – It’s not –” Face hot, Yata tries to explain himself, only to be cut off by a heavy congratulatory pat on his shoulder by Chitose.

“You’ve learned well, my friend,” Chitose says, closing his eyes. He looked oddly proud of himself, as if _he_ were the one to make this all happen. “It looks like Yata’s finally taken all my dating advice to heart.” Looking over to everyone else, Chitose shakes his head. “Now if only the rest of you would follow suit… Well, except for you, Kamamoto.”

Out of everyone at Homra, only Kamamoto and Kusanagi were officially seeing someone. Yata had met Kamamoto’s girlfriend once before and she was apparently a childhood friend of his. Yata wasn’t sure who Kusanagi was with, but it was an open secret that he was dating someone, all of Homra knowing by this point. Chitose on the other hand was always seeing someone, though it wasn’t always the same person. As far as Totsuka went, well, Totsuka… _Hm?_ Thinking about it, Totsuka had never mentioned dating someone before, but if Yata wasn’t mistaken, he was sure he’d heard Kusanagi mention something about it in the past. Something about the both of them having a wide interest in hobbies and being far too nosy for their own good…

“H-Hey, I could get a girlfriend if I wanted to!” Bandou exclaims.

Narrowing his eyes, Eric’s tone is flat. “I’m not taking advice from someone like you.”

Ignoring the both of them, Chitose looks back over to Yata. “So, how’d you do it? Did he accept them?”

With the attention of all his friends back on him, Yata’s face heats up again _._ “The fuck do you mean ‘how’?” Yata bristles. He didn’t like being asked so many questions, and it was starting to irritate him. “You all know already, so why do I have to tell you everything?”

“So you _did_ give him chocolates.” It was irritating how pleased Totsuka sounded in that moment and Yata didn’t even have to look at him to know he was smiling. _He’s totally rubbing it in!_

“Come on, Yata-san!” Kamamoto says, enthusiastic. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, you can tell us.”

Pursing his lips, Yata contemplates it. It was true that it was nothing to be ashamed of… In fact, he was proud about it. It had taken a lot of courage to give Fushimi those chocolates, after all! _Maybe it’s fine then…_ It would be, right? They were his friends, of course he could trust-

“Or we can just ask Fushimi when he comes over.” As if it was the greatest idea in existence, Chitose smiles widely. “You did say he was coming, right, Yata?”

Hand balling into a fist, Yata raises it in anger. “You better not fucking say anything!”

If they mentioned it to Fushimi, Yata was just about sure he’d die of embarrassment. He didn’t need them interrogating him the way they were doing to him. Things were going well with the two of them and the last thing he needed was his friends fucking everything up just because they were being nosy pricks.

“Then spill it.”

“Chitose, don’t force it out of him.” Kusanagi warns, “Not everyone’s up to sharing private information.”

“Come on, Kusanagi-san! Don’t act like you’re not curious too.”

Offering a troubled smile, Kusanagi shakes his head. “I never said I wasn’t.”

“See, everyone’s waiting, so just tell us!” Chitose persists, “If not, I _might_ conveniently bring it up later, who knows.”

Even with Kusanagi’s warning, Yata was sure Chitose would make due on his threat.

Sighing in a mix of irritation and resignation, Yata opens his mouth. “I-It’s really not a big deal!” He starts, only for everyone to continue listening, his palms going sweaty. “I just… f-fucking handed them to him like normal!” Or so he assumed that was the normal thing. He didn’t exactly go around giving people boxes of chocolates. “Are you fucking happy now?”

“What do you mean that’s not a big deal!” Hands on his face in disbelief, Bandou’s brows rise above his sunglasses. “You fucking confessed to your man!”

Wiping a fake tear, Chitose sucks in a breath. “I’ve never been more proud.”

 “W-Wait, you guys…” Yata tries, his hand outreached. He had forgotten to mention the most important part…

“Congrats, Yata!” Kusanagi and Totsuka say in unison.

“I wouldn’t congratulate him yet.” Eric cuts in, “He might’ve gotten rejected, for all you know.”

With that, the group goes silent again, a sort of tense silence filling the room.

“Um, about that…” Scratching the back of his head, Yata winces. He could already imagine the disappointment he’d be receiving after uttering these words: “I… I gave them to him as f-friends.” Getting no answer in return, Yata begins to panic a little, blank faces staring at him. “I told you guys we w-weren’t like that, so don’t fucking look at me that way!”

Sounding dead inside, Bandou’s head falls forward a little. “You’re kidding.”

Eric just shakes his head, as if he should’ve have expected anything else, while Kusanagi and Totsuka stay silent behind the counter. Even Kamamoto seemed to be at a loss, offering no comforting words other than the hesitant mumble of his name.

“What the hell do you mean ‘as _friends_ ’?!” Pinching the bridge of his nose, Chitose tries to make sense of the situation. “You’re joking, right?”

“I’m not joking! Why the hell would I joke about something like that?!”

“To be _this_ dense…. I can’t believe it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“You obviously like him and yet you just went and friend zoned yourself, genius.”

Furrowing his brow, Yata bites his lip in irritation. _Friend zoned?_ Of course he liked Fushimi. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have wanted to be friends with him so badly. Hell, becoming friends with Fushimi was the whole goal of the chocolates, so why did Chitose have to make that sound like a bad thing?

“I was _trying_ to be his friend! That was the whole point of the chocolates, smart ass!”

Sighing, Chitose shakes his head. “You seriously don’t get it, do you?”

Yata was honestly starting to get irritated. Why did everyone have to be so sure that there was something going on here? He just wanted to make Fushimi chocolates, so he had, what was the big deal? “Get _what_ , damn it! Quit being so fucking vague and just spit it out already!”

“You made Fushimi chocolates as friends, right?” Looking at Yata with a stern look, Chitose crosses his arms. “Don’t you think that’s a little off? How does making chocolates for someone equal ‘friends’?” Pacing a little, Chitose mumbles to himself. “It’s just weird,” Chitose continues, looking more than irritated. “Did you make any of your other ‘friends’ chocolates? Or just Fushimi?”

“T-That’s –” Pausing at the look Chitose gives him, Yata’s sentence stalls. There was no point in defending himself on that question, not when everyone already knew. “Just… Saru…”

“Exactly.”  

“’Exactly’ what?! That doesn’t prove anything, asshole!”

“It proves everything!” Facepalming, Chitose groans a little. “Someone else please explain, I’m about to lose it here.”

“There’s nothing to explain!”

“Yata-chan,” Kusanagi cuts in, rubbing the back of his neck. “I think what Chitose’s tryna get at is did you ever think about _why_ you only made Fushimi chocolates?”

 _Seriously?_ How many times did he have to repeat himself. He already knew why he’d made Fushimi chocolates, it was everyone else that didn’t get it!

“Because I wanted to be his fr–”

“Not that.” Crossing his arms, Kusanagi looks at Yata with a leveled gaze. “We get that you wanted to be his friend, but what about that other lad?” Thinking for a moment, Kusanagi’s eyes light up. “Ah, Doumyouji-kun! If makin’ chocolates meant to make friends with someone for you, then why didn’t ya make him some too?”  

That one stumped him a little. Yata had never really thought about it that much. He just knew he wanted to be friends with Fushimi, or at least to a point where they both agreed that was the case. He had already thought of Fushimi as his friend for a while, but he sort of… wanted proof maybe. To know that the feeling was mutual. Fushimi would never refer to any of his clubmates as his friend even though it was obvious that wasn’t the case and he didn’t want it to be that way with them.

“I… I wanted proof, I guess.” Pursing his lips, Yata looks away. It was… kind of embarrassing to say out loud. “I wanted to know that Saru felt the same.”

“So basically, you only cared about knowin’ how Fushimi thought about you, correct?”

Eyes widening, Yata’s heart races a little. It… was true. He did want to know what Fushimi thought of him – he really had, but that was normal, right? He liked Fushimi a lot, so it was only natural he’d want to make sure it was the same! Or… maybe it wasn’t and that’s why everyone was trying so hard to get him to notice. If it was normal… wouldn’t he have wanted to know the same thing when it came to Doumyouji? So why was it only Fushimi?

“S-Saru’s not really open so, I dunno.” Trying to make excuses, Yata continues to blabber, “I just wanted to be sure we were really friends!”

Humming a little, Kusanagi lets out an amused huff. “You sure that’s all?”

“Eh?”

 _What’s that supposed to mean?_ Even if Yata wasn’t quite sure, a part of him felt like it did. _What the hell is_ _with that?_

Glancing over to Totsuka, Kusanagi shrugs, letting him take the reins. “If you only cared about what Fushimi thought, doesn’t that mean there’s something about Fushimi that’s different from a normal friend to you?”

‘Something about Fushimi’ definitely struck him somehow… He was grumpy more often than not and could be a total ass. He loved giving Yata a hard time by teasing him relentlessly until he got the reactions he wanted. It should’ve been more annoying, but it… wasn’t. None of it was. Even if it was the same things his friends would do to him, he always found himself smirking back at Fushimi’s taunts, offering the same attitude back himself.

Fushimi was a jerk and yet, he always found himself having fun with him. There really _was_ something about Fushimi, otherwise he wouldn’t have felt that way. He wouldn’t have found him to be so fucking amazing and entertaining to be with if that wasn’t the case. It was kind of obvious now that he thought about it. He had thought those same thoughts to himself plenty of times in the past, but only now did he realize what it meant.

“…Special.” Yata mumbles, the words coming out without conscious thought. “Saru… he’s… he’s special.”

At that, Totsuka lets out a wide smile. “How so?”

\--

Shoving the last of his books in his bag, Fushimi gets out of his seat. He had been stuck in the clubroom for way too long and it didn’t help that all of it could’ve been prevented. Munakata had decided to do some stupid assignment that included working with a partner and as his luck would have it, Doumyouji was the first to jump on the opportunity to work with him.

Doumyouji was one of his last picks – by far – but with Doumyouji choosing him, Hidaka had chosen Akiyama. Of all of his clubmates, he had to admit Akiyama was the most capable so he didn’t have much choice but to work with Doumyouji after that.

It wouldn’t have been so bad, but Doumyouji was good at getting distracted and blabbing about trivial matters rather than getting work done. Hidaka was no better, considering Akiyama had given him a look of understanding whenever the two would go off on random tangents. It had all four of them staying later than the rest of the club and Fushimi was just about done. Shouldering his bag, Fushimi strides over to the door. _I can finally leave._ He had plans today and he wasn’t about to stay here any longer than needed. Or, more than he already had.

“You know, I noticed it before, but…” Hearing a thoughtful voice cut in, Fushimi’s ready to ignore it, until he hears the rest of what they wanted to say. “You’re in a good mood today, Fushimi-san.”

Just when he thought he was out of there... The comment stops him just before he has the chance to turn the doorknob, his freedom being stripped from him as he allowed himself to be caught up in his clubmates’ meddling. Of all the times to go and start something, they had to go and do it now. _Typical…_

There was only one person it could’ve been, that irritating voice permanently etched in his mind. As annoying as the others could get, they usually weren’t so upfront, leaving behind the most obvious choice. Regardless of who it was though, he knew not to take the bait, the conversation sure to reach a still point no matter his answer. Even if he knew it was just to get him to talk, he still didn’t like assumptions being thrown at him like that – especially when that was most definitely _not_ the case.

What was there to be in a good mood about, anyways? Nothing, certainly. At least, nothing that had to do with being here. Checking his phone, Fushimi clicks his tongue as he notes the time. _I’m already running late…_ He didn’t have time to spare chatting with idiots, he had already wasted enough time helping them out as it was.

Doumyouji was the whole reason he was running late to begin with. It was better to just leave and ignore him, it would only save him unnecessary grief. Besides, he couldn’t keep Yata waiting too long, not after how excited he looked when they agreed to make plans the other day. Well, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t looking forward to it either. Just a little.

There was a small bit of excitement that had been nagging at him all day, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. He didn’t understand why, he had hung out with Yata plenty of times in the past, but lately he had been finding his mind wandering to whatever they happened to have planned. Or, more accurately, his mind had been drifting to Yata in general more frequently recently, along with what had happened on Valentine’s Day…

He couldn’t get the scene out of his head – at all. It was irritating and distracting, but he didn’t know how to make it stop. _So annoying._ He had never had issues with focusing on his schoolwork before, but the more days passed, the more he’d find himself having to reread the same problem because he had spaced out in the middle of it, Yata’s face appearing in his mind.

Yata’s slightly flushed face, with those big, hazel eyes… The memory of it alone had his heart racing. Their faces were so close then, Yata’s lips in plain view… There was just something about the way Yata looked in that moment, something that called out to him. Licking his lips at the thought, Fushimi chastises himself. What was his problem? _This is too much._ He didn’t know what any of this meant, but it was becoming overwhelming. He hated how little control he seemed to have over his own thoughts.

If he wasn’t thinking of Yata’s face, it was something else. Like the warmth of Yata’s body beneath his, or the grip of Yata’s hands on his hips. The way those hands tightened on him just slightly as Yata muttered his name. He was probably imagining it, but it almost sounded like Yata was asking for him to do something in that moment, something that couldn’t be said with just words.

Yata’s eyes were half-lidded, moving between looking at his lips and eyes. It was almost like they were the only two people in the world in that instant, like time had stopped. That feeling didn’t last too long though, the moment being shattered just about as quickly as it had happened.

 _That damn lady._ If it hadn’t of been for her, they could’ve… _Could’ve… what?_ Furrowing his brows, Fushimi catches himself mid-thought. It was strange, but it almost felt as if they were on the verge of something… Like things would be different if she hadn’t interfered. Noting the sinking feeling in his stomach, Fushimi grows anxious. What was there to be disappointed about? There was nothing to change between them… they were already friends as Yata had said – and he was fine with it. Right?

Feeling irritated with his uncertainty, Fushimi tries to sort out his thoughts. He was frustrated, but it wasn’t necessarily because Yata had called him his friend. He didn’t want friends, that was what he always said wasn’t it? But, this was different somehow. It wasn’t the same type of annoyance as when his clubmates would give them that title, but… it was almost as if being friends wasn’t what he wanted. _What does that even mean?_ Being friends with Yata should’ve been more than enough, so why did he feel so uneasy?

Not getting a response, the voice presses on, “Did something good happen recently?” _Tsk._ He had spaced out again. He really needed to learn how to control his thoughts… Hearing a hum come from behind him, Fushimi isn’t excited to hear the rest, knowing there was more to come. “Something good… with Yata-san, maybe?”

Looking over his shoulder, Fushimi glares at the owner of the voice, unable to stop himself at the mention of Yata’s name. It was vexing, but he was right.

Sitting atop one of the classroom desks was Doumyouji, his eyes on Fushimi, and an impish grin on his face. The scene alone was enough to make Fushimi’s eye twitch, and he hadn’t even heard more than two sentences from his clubmate.

Akiyama and Hidaka were there as well, but they pretended not to notice what was going on. Fushimi could tell otherwise, the two of their hands stilling on the work they were getting done. _At least the captain isn’t here…_ He had left a few minutes before to run an errand and with the way things were going, Fushimi was glad to see it was taking him a while.

“What nonsense are you going on about now?” Fully turning around, Fushimi crosses his arms. He didn’t have time to waste with these people, but there was something about that accusation that gnawed at him. Even if he was in a good mood – which he wasn’t – why did Doumyouji have to go and assume Yata was the cause of it? _Ridiculous._

Just because he had been replaying that scene after the party in his head over and over again didn’t mean it put him in a good mood or anything. Especially not the part about how Yata had given him _chocolates_ of all things, or the way they had fallen down together, their faces close… Yata’s lips looking painfully appealing in a way Fushimi couldn’t place…

Definitely not. Not at all.

“Mm, just a hunch I have.” Shrugging, Doumyouji plays it off. Replacing his mischievous smile for an innocent one, he continues, “But I’m not the only one who thinks so, you know. Right, guys?” Looking over to the duo, Fushimi’s eyes follow Doumyouji’s to where Akiyama and Hidaka were sitting unnaturally still.

Piping up first, Akiyama looks away from his paper, albeit a bit reluctantly. “Doumyouji, I don’t think you should butt in too much.”

“Yeah and don’t drag us into it either!” Hidaka adds, looking worried.

“Oh, please!” Rolling his eyes, Doumyouji scoffs. “You two were blabbing about it just fine earlier! Enomoto and Fuse, too.”

“You –” Pointing his finger, Hidaka looks taken aback. “You’re going to _put_ him in a bad mood if you keep it up!”

Technically, Fushimi had been in a bad mood since Doumyouji had called out to him, but it was starting to get worse the more this continued. _Why didn’t I just leave?_ He still could… the door was right there and with it he could be seeing Yata in less than twenty minutes. Even with that reasoning, Fushimi continues to listen on regardless. He didn’t care that everyone was conspiring behind his back, it had been happening since they’d first found out about Yata after all, but he was somewhat curious. They were all idiots, and as much as Fushimi wanted to deny it – he was stuck.

He didn’t understand all the feelings and thoughts he was having when it came to Yata, but maybe, just maybe, their insights could help, if only slightly. He wasn’t exactly the most experienced when it came to relationships of any sort, so they were his best bet at getting some information he couldn’t scrounge up himself. The only thing was having to suffer through all the snooping and teasing that came along with it. _Seriously…_ Why did these things have to be so complicated?

Seeming pleased with himself, Doumyouji’s smile goes wider. “Oh? So you admit he _has_ been in a good mood then?”

Wincing at the mention, Hidaka mutters not-so-quietly to himself. “I should’ve went home when Enomoto and Fuse did…” Getting elbowed by Doumyouji, Hidaka yelps, “Ouch!”

“Haha,” Looking over to Fushimi, Akiyama offers a troubled smile. “Well… It is true, Fushimi-san. You did seem to be in brighter spirits today.”

Hearing it from Doumyouji and having it be implied by Hidaka was one thing, but to hear it from Akiyama… It made Fushimi question how he’d been acting all day. He usually dismissed whatever nonsense the idiot duo spouted out, but Akiyama was the most mature and professional one out of his clubmates, his words having the most substance to them.

“See!” Perking up, Doumyouji practically vibrates with excitement. “You’re totally in a good mood and it’s so because of Yata-san!”

_Again, with this…_

“And how can you be so sure?” Akiyama asks, always quick to counter Doumyouji’s accusations. He was almost like a mother with the way he would reprimand and help the others. Fushimi wasn’t sure how he did it, putting up with all their antics. Not that he didn’t get a taste for that attitude himself sometimes with his bad eating and sleeping habits… “Maybe Fushimi just had a good day or something.”

Puffing up with pride, Doumyouji looks at the three of them with sparkling eyes. “Heh, that’s because I know something you two don’t.”

 _He wouldn’t…_ Thinking back on it, Doumyouji did say Yata had confided in him. In fact, he was the one who reassured him nothing was wrong when he suspected something was up with the two of them. Doumyouji had been doing so well keeping his mouth shut lately that it seemed like his time to burst had finally come. _Not if I can help it, anyways._

“Doumyouji, shut it.” Sending him the deadliest glare he could muster, Fushimi doesn’t say anything more. That alone should’ve been enough, but as usual, Doumyouji is either oblivious to his warning, or just too invested in the current situation to give it up. Most likely the latter, as Fushimi couldn’t even count how many times Doumyouji continued to blabber his mouth despite someone asking him not to. It was almost like keeping in secret information harmed his wellbeing with the way he went flapping his lips to everyone.

“What? It’s not a big deal, Fushimi-san!” Pouting, Doumyouji doesn’t seem to be intimidated as he continues rambling on. “It’s not like it isn’t obvious, anyways!”

 _Obvious?_ There was no way that was the case. For all everyone knew, they just walked home together that night. On Valentine’s Day. Alone. With Yata being all red-faced and nervous while everyone practically forced them out of there.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that hard to guess something might’ve happened, but that didn’t mean Doumyouji had to go around spreading the word and making it fact.

“What’s not a big deal?” Hidaka asks, looking between the two of them. “What’s obvious?!”

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi redirects his glare to Hidaka instead. “It’s none of your business.”

Unfortunately, having his attention diverted seemed to be just what Doumyouji needed, the words spilling out of his lips almost as soon as he looked away.

“Fushimi-san got chocolates from Yata-san!” He exclaims, hands clapping excitedly. “That’s why he’s in a good mood, that has to be it!”

 _This little…!_ To go and tell them what happened _and_ to imply that was the reason for his supposed “good mood” was just too much. Before he has the chance to snap, Hidaka’s shocked voice cuts in. “Are… are you serious?”

“Wow,” Akiyama remarks, offering Fushimi a small smile. “That’s great, Fushimi-san.”

“Not _great_ ,” Moving over to Doumyouji, Fushimi grabs onto his collar. “What makes you think you can go around telling people these things?”

“W-What are you so upset about!?”

“Are you really asking me that?”

“Well, I mean – Come on, Fushimi-san!” Cringing, Doumyouji tries to pull away, but to no avail. “Everyone knows you guys like each other already, so what’s the problem?!”

Eyes widening, Fushimi’s grip loosens just slightly, allowing Doumyouji to release himself. Heart pounding, Fushimi repeats the word in his head. _‘Like’?_ There’s no way he’d like someone as boisterous and oblivious as Yata. Someone so completely inspired and outgoing, bright and positive... It was impossible. There was no way.

As much as he denied it, the word resonated with him. To like someone… to like _Yata_ , he had never thought about that possibility. All those confusing thoughts and feelings that arose whenever he thought of Yata, or even saw him seemed to stand out at the mention. No. He wouldn’t believe it, Doumyouji was just messing with him as usual. Liking someone was pointless…

“What the hell do you mean by that?” Clicking his tongue, Fushimi keeps his voice level. “I don’t like Misaki. Quit spreading lies.”

“Huh? Of course you like him!” This time it was Doumyouji’s eyes going wide, disbelief growing on his features. “You guys are so obvious!”

_What._

How could they be obvious about something that wasn’t even true?

“You must be joking.” Fushimi scoffs, “It’s just your imagination.”

“The one who’s joking is you!” Pointing his finger at Fushimi, Doumyouji looks frustrated. “If it’s just my imagination, then what was with you staring at Yata-san the other day, huh?”

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi looks away. “I wasn’t staring.”

It was a lie, but no way was he going to admit it. It wasn’t like he had meant to, but he was caught off guard in that moment. Yata’s shirt riding up was another one of the thoughts that had been plaguing him lately, but it had been overpowered by the memories of Valentine’s Day. Either way, it didn’t concern any of them. Why was Doumyouji paying attention to something like that, anyways? _So nosy._

“You guys,” Akiyama interrupts, “calm down. The captain could come back at any time…”

Ignoring Akiyama’s warning, Doumyouji presses on, “Tell me I’m wrong, Akiyama! Wasn’t he staring?”

“U-Uh…” Looking at Fushimi with a troubled face, Akiyama hums. “Mm, well… I guess you could say that?”

“You were.” Hidaka adds, though he looked a bit crestfallen at the fact. “Definitely…”

Fushimi couldn’t believe it. It was as if they were all out to get him with this. Turning his back on his clubmates, Fushimi walks back over to the door. He was done hearing about all of this, especially from them.

“F-Fushimi-san where are you going?” Akiyama calls out.

Stopping at the door, Fushimi adds one last thing. “Whatever my relationship with Misaki is, it’s none of your business.” Turning the knob, Fushimi opens it slightly, before being stopped again. Only this time, it’s not with words, but the unpleasant smile of his club leader. Akiyama had been right when he said Munakata would be back at any minute, though Fushimi was beginning to wonder just how long he’d been standing there.

_Don’t tell me he heard everything?_

Letting Munakata in, Fushimi watches him wearily as he stops in front of the other three before again facing him. “Leaving already, Fushimi-kun?”

“Yes,” Fushimi sighs, not in the mood for any of this. Yata was waiting for him and here he was still being pestered by these people. “I’m finished with my work, so I’ll be going now.”

“Hoh, to visit Yata-kun, I assume?”

“Hah?”

Offering an angelic smile, Munakata doesn’t seem at all fazed by Fushimi’s displeasure. In fact, he seemed to be almost enjoying it… “A little bird told me you two had plans today. I hope you’ll enjoy yourselves.”

That was it, Fushimi was out of here.

“I don’t need you telling me that.” Stepping out of the door, Fushimi shuts it behind him. Everyone was assuming things left and right about them, and it was getting on his nerves. _Well, he was right about us hanging out…_ He hadn’t mentioned it to anyone at the club though, so who did Munakata mean by ‘a little bird’? Deciding not to dwell on it, Fushimi makes his way out of the building.

The sooner he got out of there, the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh I hope you all enjoyed and I'll be posting again here soon! Any comments are appreciated <3 ^^/


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Fuchsia for reading this over as usual!! <3  
> Also this chap got a little tricky but overall I think it turned out alright ^^ I hope you guys like it u//u

“Why are you following me?” Pinching the bridge of his nose, Fushimi shuts his eyes. He had been walking to Homra for not even ten minutes when he had realized he was being followed by none other than Doumyouji, Akiyama and Hidaka. He was close to snapping at this point. No one could take a hint apparently. “Can’t you tell I’m trying to _get away_ from all of you? Get out of here already.”

“We’re not following you.” Doumyouji hums, “Yata-san’s my friend too, what’s wrong with me visiting him at work?”

“None of us have been to Café Homra either,” Akiyama adds, interjecting smoothly. “It’d be nice to see where Yata-san works.”

 _Right._ Even if they put it that way, he was sure that wasn’t the real reason. _Damn Munakata and his mouth._ If he hadn’t of said anything, he doubted any of them would be following him right now.

“Whatever… do what you want.”

“Don’t worry, we will.” Doumyouji chimes.

Sighing, Fushimi tries to walk faster, only for them to keep pace with him. _This is seriously getting annoying…_ “Can’t you three get away from me?”

“We’re all going to the same place, Fushimi-san.” Akiyama says.

“Yeah, how else are we supposed to get to Café Homra?” Asks Hidaka.

“That doesn’t mean you have to walk so close to me.”

“Quit being so fussy!” Doumyouji calls. “We’re not even that close to you!”

“Close enough.”

Noting silence behind him, Fushimi thinks that’s that when after a few moments he realizes they’re right behind him. “What the –” Feeling a pressure on his shoulder, Fushimi is taken aback. “What are you doing? Get off me!”

“Don’t be so unsociable, Fushimi-san!” Tightening the grip on Fushimi’s shoulder, Doumyouji laughs. “We’re all friends here, there’s no need to get away from us!”

“We haven’t been talking with you this past year for nothing, you know!” Hidaka adds.

Agreeing, Akiyama nods. “That’s right, Yata-san’s not your only friend.”

 _Misaki…_ Hearing that name, Fushimi gulps. “He’s not…”

He couldn’t deny it. That night on Valentine’s Day had marked the beginning of their friendship. Or at least, the beginning for him. Yata had said that he considered Fushimi a friend that night, which meant he had to have thought so for a while, right? He wouldn’t have put so much thought and effort into making sure he knew that if that wasn’t the case.

“Oh? You’re not gonna deny it?” Eyeing Fushimi, Doumyouji grins.

“That’s odd…” Sounding contemplative, Akiyama puts his hand to his chin. “I think that’s the first time I’ve seen Fushimi-san hesitate when talking about a friend.”

“I can’t believe it,” Hidaka whines.

“Wow, Yata-san must be really special if you’re acting like that!”

 _Special?_ Was Yata special to him?

Feeling his heart flutter in his chest, Fushimi knows the answer to that question. Yata was different than anyone else he had met, and like Akiyama had said in the past – they just… clicked. He would never say it aloud, but being able to admit it to himself, just barely, was more than enough for him. Almost too much…

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi doesn’t comment. Homra was in sight now and he didn’t exactly want to be talking about Yata and their relationship here. Well, not that he wanted to talk about it at all, really.

“Wow, we’re here already.” Akiyama notes.

“I can’t wait to see Yata-san!” Releasing his hold on Fushimi, Doumyouji runs ahead to open the door for them. “You go in first, Fushi-”

“S-Saru’s just special to me alright?! That’s all there is to it!”

 _That’s…_ He recognized that voice immediately, the sound of it making his eyes widen. _Did he just say…?_

“I don’t think so, Yata!” A voice exclaims, apparently not satisfied with Yata’s earlier exclamation.

Upon entering the building, Fushimi is met with the sight of Yata’s back along two men holding onto his arms. He seemed to be struggling, as though he were trying to get away from them. _What is going on here?_

Cutting into his thoughts, another voice joins in. “We’re not letting you go until you admit it, shorty!”

“I have nothing else to say! Saru’s just… he’s…”

 _Just what?_ Standing still, Fushimi waits in anticipation to hear the rest. What did Yata think of him? What were they trying to get him to admit? Feeling his heart race, Fushimi releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding when another voice pipes in.

“Uh… you guys…” Catching sight of another bigger man on the side, Fushimi scowls at him as he struggles to gain the attention of Yata and the two other men. _Why do people always have to interrupt?_

“What is it Kamamoto?!” Yata exclaims, sounding frustrated. “I’m kinda busy here!”

“But, Yata-san,” Gulping, Kamamoto speaks up hesitantly, “we have customers…”

Immediately, the three of them straighten up, their demeanor changing.

“W-Welcome to Café Ho –” Turning around, Yata makes eye contact with Fushimi, his face turning bright red. “E-Eh, Saru?! W-Wha – How long have you been here?!”

Feeling his own face heat up, Fushimi pouts. “I just got here.”

“You didn’t… D-Did you hear…?”

“Just… a little bit.” Looking away, Fushimi averts his eyes from Yata’s wide hazel ones. Of course he had heard, how couldn’t he have with how loud Yata was being?

They stand there for only a moment, before Yata’s voice is rising, his head turning over to the two men from before. “Y-You guys totally did that on purpose!”

Shrugging, Bandou shoves his hands into his pockets. “No clue what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, absolutely no idea.” The other man says, nodding in agreement.

“Like hell you guys don’t!” Looking back over to Fushimi, Yata rubs the back of his neck. “S-Sorry about that…”

Shocked by Yata’s apology, Fushimi’s eyes widen. What was there to be sorry about? Yata had called him special and it was a fact that Fushimi found himself being happier with than he should’ve been. _He feels the same way…_

“It’s fine.” Fushimi mutters, the words low so that only Yata can hear them, “It… doesn’t bother me.”

It was the opposite, in fact.

Eyes widening, Yata’s embarrassed face turns into a huge grin. “Heh… I-Is that so...”

Feeling his heart race, Fushimi has to swallow the lump in his throat. Yata looked way too happy in that moment, he was at a loss. _He looks good like that._ Fushimi almost finds it contagious, a small smile playing on his own lips.

“Anyways, come on in, you four!” Totsuka calls, voice cheery. “No point in standing around!”

Hearing Totsuka’s voice, Fushimi snaps out of it, remembering where he was. _Tch._ He didn’t need to be acting like this around all these people…

Joining in, Kusanagi waves them over. “Totsuka’s right. Don’t mind those three.” Sending a glare at Yata and his friends, Kusanagi puts on a strained smile. “I’ll be havin’ a talk with them all _very_ soon.”

Getting the hint, they all shrink in on themselves, looking like scolded children. Kusanagi was polite enough, but it looked like he was the type to get scary when angry.

Taking up on the offer, Akiyama, Doumyouji, and Hidaka make their way inside, walking past where he and Yata stood. “Good to see you again, Totsuka-san, Kusanagi-san!”

“You too, Doumyouji-kun!” Smiling, Totsuka looks between Akiyama and Hidaka. “Oh, Akiyama-kun is here too! How nice!”

“Good afternoon,” Akiyama says politely.

“Hello, boys.” Nodding, Kusanagi smiles. “Thank you for your help last time, we really appreciate it.”

“No problem!”

“Of course.”

Glancing over to Hidaka, Totsuka looks curious. “And who might you be? If I’m correct you were at the party as well…”

“Hello.” Bowing, Hidaka introduces himself, “I’m Hidaka Akira, nice to meet you.”

“Hidaka-kun, then! Pleasure to meet you, too.”

“Yo, Andy!” Another man calls, walking over to where the three of them were talking to Totsuka and Kusanagi. It was one of the men that was holding Yata in place when they’d first entered, but Fushimi recognized him from his first visit to Homra. There was no way he could forget with how nosy he’d been while he was waiting on them that day, his teasing towards Yata being almost relentless. He didn’t realize Doumyouji and he were acquainted, however. “Finally came to visit, huh?”

“Oh, Chitose!” Grinning, the two of them exchange some weird handshake as they meet up. They were definitely more than acquainted if they were doing something lame like that. “Sorry it took so long, I’ve been busy with school.”

“Hey, no problem with that.” Offering a smile back, Chitose looks over to the other two. “Cool seeing you guys again too.”

“What the hell? You guys know each other?” Apparently sharing the same sentiments as Fushimi, Yata questions the men. “Since when?!”

“Since you ran off to flirt with Fushimi over there after the party.” Smirking, Chitose prattles on, “You know your _special_ friend and all.”

“W-What the –” Face flushing immediately, Yata balls his hand into a fist. “Shut the hell up! T-That’s… you can’t just –”

“Yeah, yeah,” Waving his hand, Chitose brushes Yata off. “He heard you anyways. What’s the point in hiding it?”

“B-Because it’s embarrassing, asshole!”

Snickering, Doumyouji points to Yata. “Haha, Yata-san your face is so red!”

“Fuck you both, you’re both assholes!”

“So, Fushimi-kun,” Totsuka says, waving him over, “What do you and Yata have planned for today?”

Frowning, Fushimi shuffles towards the counter Totsuka was standing behind, though he didn’t want to. Yata was preoccupied at the moment and while he didn’t want to talk to Totsuka, he didn’t exactly have a problem with him either. _Except he’s nosy._ He had a feeling he was up to no good, just like at the party. He looked to be similar with Munakata in that sense – being good at digging up information all the while seeming innocent. Fushimi was never good at dealing with people like that…

“Nothing, really.” Shrugging, Fushimi looks at the desserts in the nearby casing as a distraction. “Just the usual.”

“Oh? Is that so? You make it sound like it’s nothing special.” Looking thoughtful, Totsuka smiles, “With how excited Yata always seems to be to hang out with you, I figured you guys always did something cool.”

Fushimi could tell what Totsuka was trying to do, but it didn’t lessen the bubbly feeling he felt in his throat. Yata was excited to hang out with him… even if they didn’t do anything spectacular. Playing it off, Fushimi keeps his voice even, “I think Misaki gets excited over a lot of things.”

“Mm, I think you’re right!” Letting out a laugh, Totsuka glances over to where Yata was talking to the others. “But you know, Yata seems different when he’s with you. More vibrant, maybe?”

 _More vibrant?_ Fushimi couldn’t see how that was possible. Yata shined brightly no matter what he did. He was always enthusiastic and excited for what life had in store. How could someone like him intensify something like that? If anything, he’d think the opposite.

“I highly doubt that.” Following Totsuka’s gaze, Fushimi watches that way Yata’s eyes sparkle, catches the crinkle beneath his eyes as he lets out a huge grin before it disappears, the smile being wiped away with a scowl from an easy taunt. Letting out a laugh from his nose, Fushimi shakes his head. He never got bored of watching those expressions change.

“Hm…” Totsuka hums, his eyes apparently no longer on Yata. He was looking at Fushimi now, a smug look on his face. “Well, looks like Yata’s not the only one who changes, huh?”

Furrowing his brows, Fushimi’s about to ask what he means by that when suddenly cheering comes from the group.

“Hey, keep it down you all!” Kusanagi calls, sounding irritated. “We’re still in store hours, ya know!”

“Ah, looks like they’re excited about something.”

Frowning, Fushimi had a bad feeling about that. _What could it be this time?_

“Saru, Saru!” Seemingly excited, Yata jogs over to where he and Totsuka were. “We just had a great idea!”

Somehow, Fushimi doubted that.

“What is it?”

Looking to Fushimi with bright eyes, Yata puts his hands on his hips. “We’re all thinking to go to the amusement park this weekend! Sounds fun, right?”

“Definitely not,” Fushimi scoffs.

“Huh? Why not?!”

Put aside the fact that he wasn’t into amusement parks to begin with, there was also the fact that he’d be stuck with a bunch of idiots for hours on end. Hearing them talk at a normal volume – if you could call it that – was more than enough, but to hear them yelling on rides all day? No. Way.

“Why do I have to hang out with all of them?” Glancing at where everyone was, Fushimi clicks his tongue. “I have no interest in spending time with them.”

“It’ll be fun Saru, come on!”

“Absolutely not.”

Yata’s about to say something else, when Hidaka walks over, joining them. “You’re not coming Fushimi-san?”

“He will!” Yata insists, “He’s got to!”

“I’m not,” Fushimi counters, ignoring the pout on Yata’s face. If he looked at it for too long, Fushimi was sure he’d begin to waver in his decision. “I’m not interested in those things.”

Chuckling, Hidaka rubs the back of his head. “Ah, I see. I’m… not really interested in it either.” Looking away briefly, Hidaka meets Fushimi’s gaze, his face slightly flushed. “If you’d like, maybe the two of us could do something instead?”

 _The two of us?_ Did he hear that right?

“What?”

“Y-You don’t have to give me an answer now or anything!” Throwing his hands up, Hidaka smiles wearily. “Just think about it, okay? I’ll be waiting for your answer.”

With that, Hidaka walks away, leaving Fushimi baffled.

“What was that?” Yata asks, appearing slightly annoyed. 

“Oho, Fushimi-kun!” Clapping his hands together, Totsuka looks entertained. “Looks like you just got asked out on a date!”

“Excuse me?”

There was absolutely no way that’s what that was. Hidaka was just… asking him out as friends. It was the same thing that he and Yata did all the time, only he had never hung out with Hidaka alone before. The only time they were together was during club activities, or when they were with everyone else. Even so, it seemed different than when he and Yata hung out, like there was a sort of anxiousness within Hidaka when he’d asked.

_I’m just imagining it._

“What?! No way!” Apparently more shocked than he was, Yata leans forward on the counter. “How was that a d-d…” Glancing at Fushimi, Yata’s face turns red. It had the same effect on him, unfortunately, his face heating up in reaction. What was he doing, looking at him like that?  “There’s no way that was a d-date invitation!”

“You think?”

“There’s no way,” Fushimi agrees.

“I don’t know… What do you think, Kusanagi?”

“Me?” Pointing to himself, Kusanagi raises his eyebrows. “Ah… I think so. He looked real nervous. I don’t think that was just a friend thing.”

“See! Told you two.”

“N-No way…” As if taking a blow, Yata’s head hangs low. “I-I’m gonna go talk to him!”

“Wait,” Grabbing onto Yata’s arm, Fushimi stops him. “Misaki, don’t.”

Just because Kusanagi and Totsuka thought so, it didn’t mean it was true. He didn’t need Yata asking him about it only to spread nonsense around. Doumyouji would be quick to say something about it and even worse if their assumption was wrong. He didn’t need unnecessary drama in his life. Besides, why would anyone want to go on a date with him, anyways? It was unfathomable.

“Huh? Why not?”

“Why should you?”

Taken aback by his question, Yata’s eyes go wide. “T-That’s…” Furrowing his brows, Yata looks confused. “I just… I don’t like it.” Meeting his gaze, Yata’s face is decorated with a light flush. “You going on a date with that guy… I don’t like it at all.”

Heartbeat racing, Fushimi doesn’t say anything, the hand on Yata’s arm suddenly feeling warm. What was that supposed to mean?

“Misa –”

“Alright, you all!” Cupping his hands around his mouth, Kusanagi interrupts the loud chatting. “You’ve been messin’ around long enough. Either get back to work, buy somethin’, or leave.”

After a few dejected comments, the group disperses, Homra’s employees getting back to work while Akiyama and the rest take a seat at a nearby booth.

“Fushimi-san, Yata-san, wanna join us?” Doumyouji asks.

Glancing over, Fushimi meets Hidaka’s gaze, another flush appearing on his face. _There’s absolutely no way…_

Moving over, Doumyouji pats the spot next to him. “You can sit by me Yata-san!”

“Yeah, come on over!” Hidaka calls, holding his gaze with Fushimi. “I have a seat r-right here, Fushimi-san.”

Leaning in, Totsuka whispers in Fushimi’s ear, “Hm, you sure it wasn’t a date?”

Fushimi stays silent, unable to offer anything back. He couldn’t believe it, but it was almost starting to seem like Totsuka might’ve been right… Why else would Hidaka be acting so weird all of a sudden?

Abruptly, his hold on Yata’s arm is shaken off, Yata’s figure now standing in front of him. “No thanks, but we’re leaving now.”

“Eh? No way!”

“Come on, Saru.” This time, it’s Yata who grabs ahold of him. Feeling Yata’s hand clasp around his own, Fushimi finds himself being lead out of the building.

Looking curious, Doumyouji lets out a quick goodbye as they walk out the door, along with a few of the others. “See you guys later then!”

Watching Yata’s back, Fushimi notes his ears are red and the palm of his hand on his was hot. He didn’t know what was wrong, but he almost seemed upset, their pace rushed as Yata dragged him along. After walking a few feet from the store, Fushimi decides to pipe up.

“Misaki, what are you doing?” He didn’t mind getting away from everyone, but he was becoming more than curious.

“We had plans, right?” Stopping in his tracks, Yata peers over his shoulder. “Or did you wanna hang out with that guy instead?”

“’That guy’?” Perplexed, Fushimi watches as Yata’s expression twists into one of irritation. He could only mean one person by that, but he was far too surprised with Yata’s suddenly obvious distaste towards him to offer much else than what he already knew to be the answer. “Hidaka?”

Yata was kidding, right? One of the main reasons he didn’t want to go to an amusement park was because of how many people would be going with them – Hidaka included.

Frowning, Yata’s grip on his hand tightens. “Who else would I be talking about? Of course, I mean him!”

“What’s the problem?” Yata’s reactions were more than intriguing. While Yata tended to get fired up easily, he had never seen him act like this. His attitude towards the whole matter had him feeling slightly on edge, almost hopeful even. It was odd to feel this way about seeing Yata upset, but… why was he? It was that question that had him feeling like he was holding his breath. “You’ve never had a problem with Hidaka before this. Why are you so upset?”

For a moment, Yata doesn’t say anything back, almost as if he wasn’t sure himself. He wasn’t looking at Fushimi anymore, but Fushimi could still make out the red of his ears and part of his cheeks. If he wasn’t mistaken, he was sure they were a deeper shade of crimson compared to earlier…

Not getting an answer, Fushimi begins to think asking was a bad idea. Yata didn’t seem to be mad at him though, at least. “Misaki?”

Letting out an exhale at the sound of his name, Yata faces him fully, his embarrassment more than evident. “I’m not upset! It’s just…” Scratching at his head, Yata purses his lips. “I’m just irritated!”

“Why?”

“W-Why?! I’m irritated because that guy!” Eyes widening, Yata’s face heats up again. “Just because you didn’t want to go didn’t mean he had to try and… t-take you out on a date!”

 _This again?_ Yata looked irritated after Hidaka had talked to him, but it wasn’t until the whole date thing was mentioned that he had started reacting so intensely. Fushimi almost couldn’t believe it, but there was no other way to interpret it no matter how much he tried to reason with himself. _Could he be…_

“Misaki, don’t tell me… you’re jealous?”

“E-Eh?!” As if it were the most outrageous thing, Yata’s eyes blow wide. “What the hell are you talking about? There’s no way I-I’m…”

It was different from when he’d asked on Valentine’s Day. Yata seemed far more embarrassed this time around, if the way he unable to finish his sentence was any indication. _What a horrible liar._

Enjoying Yata’s reactions, Fushimi couldn’t help but feel a little smug. “I noticed it earlier but, you looked irritated when Hidaka mentioned we hang out.”

“That’s because h-he interrupted us!”

“Then when Totsuka mentioned it was a date…” Stopping there, Fushimi watches Yata’s face. He looked about ready to explode, steam practically coming out of his ears. It was cute and humorous all in the same and Fushimi found himself continuing on with a smirk. “You seemed to get really upset...”

“I-I’m not jealous!”

“Hm, are you sure?”

“J-Just…” Biting his lip, Yata averts his gaze again before meeting Fushimi with determined eyes. Pulling Fushimi by the hand, he brings the two of them closer. “I-If anyone’s gonna hang out with you alone, it’s gonna be me!”

Facing heating up at the statement and their proximity, Fushimi looks into those bright, hazel eyes, Yata’s words replaying in his mind.

_“S-Saru’s just special to me alright?!”_

_Special…_ He couldn’t be sure, but Fushimi was beginning to wonder if this and that were related. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have hated it. It was almost appealing, putting the two of them together. For Yata to feel jealous because someone had asked him out on a date and because he thought of him as special. It was too much, but not in a bad way. He didn’t know what to do with all the positive emotions swirling within him at that.

“I-I mean, the main reason you didn’t want to go was because everyone else was going, right?” Looking hopeful, Yata continues, “If…” He immediately trails off, steadying himself. “If it were just us… w-would you go?”

It was true that he didn’t want to hang out with Yata’s friends and the rest of his clubmates, but that was only part of it. He didn’t like being in big crowds in general and just the thought of dealing with the long lines and annoying children had him feeling irritated. More than that though, was the delight he felt having Yata ask him that – for the two of them to go out together. It was nothing different from what they usually did, but it was at the same time.

Yata claiming that he would be the one to hang out with him in Hidaka’s place changed things somehow. When Hidaka had asked him, he didn’t think anything of it other than it being unusual. They never hung out alone together, but even when Totsuka had mentioned it being a date, it didn’t have him feeling at all close to the way he was feeling now that Yata was asking him. _Wait…_

Was Yata asking him on a date?

He couldn’t be sure, but the implication alone had Fushimi’s palms going sweaty, his heart racing faster. Yata didn’t say it was, but he couldn’t help his mind from taking that path, not with the way everything was going.

If Yata was really asking him on a date… even if the chance was slim…

Snapping himself out of it, Fushimi looks away. What was he doing, thinking like that? Yata was asking him to hang out like he always did, nothing more. It wasn’t like he wanted to go on a date with Yata anyways, or anything…

_It’s not a date._

Convincing himself, Fushimi ignores the disappointment creeping within him. Meeting Yata’s gaze again, his squeezes the hand in his without thinking. “Mm.”

As soon as he answers, Yata’s eyes brighten with excitement. “R-Really?! You mean it?”

Snorting, Fushimi can’t help the pull of a smile at the corner of his lips. “No, Misaki. I’m just saying it for fun.”

“I’m just making sure, damn it!” Using his free hand, Yata scratches at the back of his head. “I’d be really… disappointed if you didn’t wanna go…”

 _Seriously…_ How many times in a day could Yata make his heart beat faster with something he did or said? He felt like he’d lose count quickly if he ever bothered to try, the amount seeming limitless. _There’s no way this is healthy._

“T-Then how about tomorrow morning?” Looking hopeful, Yata’s moves closer again. “I’m off tomorrow and you don’t have classes, yeah?”

Yata was right, but he was surprised as how soon he wanted to go. He was expecting it to happen a couple days or weeks from now, not the next day. Somehow the fact that Yata wanted to go so soon had butterflies forming in his stomach. It was almost as if Yata was too excited to wait… Wanting to put that idea to the test, Fushimi doesn’t offer an answer right away, opting to pry a little more instead. “Tomorrow? Isn’t that kind of short notice?”

“A-Ah, yeah… I guess so…” Deflating a little, Yata pouts. “So, is that… a no?”

It was kind of mean, but seeing Yata get saddened by the possibility of them not going had him smirking. “Hm, you really want me to go that bad?”

Expecting to get a flustered response, Fushimi is surprised when he’s met with an earnest and endearing one instead, “I-Isn’t that obvious? I… I wanna be with you.”

Heart beating even more, Fushimi holds his breath at Yata’s honesty. It takes him a moment to recover, but as he ignores the heat in his face he replies in as even as a tone as he can, “Then… tomorrow’s fine.” Hesitating for a beat, Fushimi lets out the breath he was holding though his nose. “I want… I want to be with Misaki, too.”

Noting the hitch of breath he gets in return, Fushimi looks up reluctantly. Yata’s face was flushed and his eyes were wide, but behind the surprise in his face, he looked… happy. Gazing at each other with warm faces and hearts pounding in their chests, the two of them stay silent for a moment before the sound of footsteps catch their attention.

“Oya, Fushimi-kun.”

In reaction to that voice, Fushimi tenses up and his heart stops. _Of all times._

 _Don’t tell me he heard any of that._ It seemed like today was the day for Munakata to curiously end up in the right places at the right time. At least, for Munakata himself, anyways. For Fushimi, it was more of all the _wrong_ places at the wrong time. Turning his head, Fushimi doesn’t even bother to hide the frown on his face, wanting nothing more than for Munakata to leave them alone.

Raising his eyebrows, Munakata looks between the two of them, an amused look on his face. “Forgive me, it seems I’ve interrupted something important.”

It’s then that he remembers Yata’s hand in his, his face paling at the reminder. Yata seems to take notice at the same time as him however, the both of them pulling back simultaneously.

“Oh, please," Gesturing for them to continue, Munakata looks to them with knowing eyes, "Don't let me disturb you. There's no need to stop just because I'm around."

Growing more irritated by the minute, Fushimi glares. It wasn't like he had _wanted_ to stop, but he wasn't about to let him watch them for the sake of his entertainment.

 _Wait..._ He didn't want to stop? He certainly didn't mind it, but for him to want to continue doing it was alarming. As he recollects the feeling of Yata’s hand that was in his just seconds ago, Fushimi begins to miss the sensation.

Yata's hand was bigger than he would've expected and it encompassed his own perfectly. They were warm and slightly rough with callouses, but the roughness didn’t bother him. He could tell by his earlier grip that Yata was strong, probably due to all the work he did in the bakery, and Fushimi couldn't help but find that to be somewhat... attractive.

"D-Disturb?!" Yata blurts, flustered. "W-We weren't… We weren’t doing anything! Right, Saru?"

"Tsk," He wasn't obligated to answer that. Whatever Munakata thought was none of his business. Even if they tried to explain it would just make things worse, the actual situation probably being no better than what Munakata had already conjured up. "What are you doing here, Captain?"

"Oh?" Smiling, Munakata doesn't seem to mind the bite in his tone. "I believe the rest of your clubmates went to visit Homra as well, did they not? I finished with my work early and thought I might join in on the festivities."

Of course, the day everyone decided to go to Homra would be the day something like this would happen. Fushimi could only think that he was grateful he'd gotten out of there before Munakata had arrived. _Would've been better if I hadn't seen him at all, though._ Either way, he could only imagine how things would be going now that he had showed up, and he wasn't about to get sucked into it.

"I see," Motioning to walk passed Munakata, Fushimi looks at Yata to follow him. Getting the hint, Yata begins to move with him. "Well, we were just leaving."

"Is that so? It was nice seeing you two again." _Nice seeing us again?_ He had seen Munakata not even an hour ago and here he was talking like that. Not wanting to start anything, Fushimi doesn’t make a comment.

“Uh, n-nice to see you too,” Yata mumbles, sounding unsure. Even if he was being polite, Fushimi could tell he wanted to get out of there just as badly as he did, it not more. Fushimi had known Munakata for over a year now and he still had a hard time dealing with him, as well as the rest of his clubmates. So for Yata, it was probably far more strange.

“Farewell,” Keeping their gazes locked, Munakata watches as the two of them inch themselves away. “I do hope you’ll have a grand time.”

Whether Munakata was referring to now or their… future plans he wasn’t sure. _Probably both._ It had him feeling on edge and because of it Fushimi finds himself stopping in his tracks briefly. If he didn’t say this now, he would only have himself to blame when it came back to him later.

“Captain,” He says, voice level, “I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to anyone else.” After a moment of pause, he adds, “Especially Doumyouji.”

Chuckling, Munakata smiles again. “I see why you’d be worried, Fushimi-kun. However, I’m afraid it might be a little too late for that…”

Fushimi’s about to ask what he means by that when Munakata motions his head towards where they had just come from moments before.

_It can’t be…_

Reluctantly, Fushimi follows Munakata’s gaze and unfortunately his suspicions are correct. Pressed against the windows of the café, Fushimi could make out the faces of Doumyouji, Hidaka and a few of Yata’s friends. Doumyouji looked way too excited, while Hidaka on the other hand looked to be on the verge of crying as Akiyama comforted him.

 _I can’t believe this!_ He knew they were all nosy, but to spy on them like this? He should’ve known better than to let something like this happen while they were around, but he had gotten caught up in the moment.

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi glares as threateningly as possible. Doumyouji seems to get the hint as he immediately slinks back into his seat while Hidaka does the same. It’s then that he notices Totsuka was there too. The huge smile on his face only annoyed Fushimi more, but as his eyes trail down, he notices the phone in his hand. If he wasn’t mistaken, it looked like he had been taking… photos?

Seeing that, the irritation doesn’t take long to seep in. _He’s worse than I expected!_ He thought Totsuka might’ve been like Munakata, and it seemed like his train of thinking was correct. Still, to take pictures, surely even Munakata wouldn’t do something like that.

Hopefully.

“Y-You assholes!” Yata yells, snapping beside him. Raising his fist in anger, Yata raises his voice even more, “What the hell are you guys doing?!”

With that, Totsuka’s smile widens as he offers a wave. _This guy…_ He was beginning to feel like he might’ve been _worse_ than Munakata. Offering a thumbs-up, Bandou nudges at Chitose who winks at the two of them.

 _Seriously…_ Could things get any worse than this?

“They have no shame at all!” Huffing, Yata’s face is red in a mix of anger and embarrassment. “T-To think they… they saw…” Shaking his head, Yata tries to dispel his bashfulness. “I’m gonna beat their asses later!”

Letting out a sigh, Fushimi crosses his arms. “There’s nothing we can do about it.”

As much as it irritated him, Yata had gone and said it himself. None of them had any shame and the fact that they had been caught in the middle of this… situation left them at a disadvantage. No matter what they said now, they would just get knowing and teasing remarks. It was better to quit while they were ahead, if you could even call it that at this point.

“Let’s go, Misaki.”

“Eh, but,” Looking towards the window again, Yata clicks his tongue as he notes everyone still watching, unfazed by their displeasure. “Che, fine. Who needs ‘em, anyways!”

\--

Biting his lower lip, Yata leans forward in concentration, his hands going sweaty. _Just a little more..._ He had been waiting for this moment for way too long and no way was he going to screw it up now, not when he'd work so hard to get here.

“Ah!” Eyes widening, Yata gasps in surprise. “S-Saru, I think I –”

Hearing a low groan, Yata can't suppress his excitement, the feelings bubbling out of control. _I seriously… I…_

“Fuck yeah!” Yata exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. Eyes trained on the TV, Yata watches as the demon-like monster falls in a dramatic manner, a call of defeat leaving its mouth. It had only taken a couple hours of grinding – along with some scolding from Fushimi – but he had finally managed to do it, to beat the boss on this level. “Look, Saruhiko! I did it!”

“About time.”

Not appreciating the bored tone, Yata turns to face Fushimi who was sitting beside him on the couch, his cheeks puffing out in a pout. “Well, _sorry_ some of us aren’t fucking experts at every game. You could be a little more supportive, you know!”

“Wow, congrats, Misaki,” Fushimi drawls, clearly unimpressed. “You did so well.”

“Why the fuck do I put up with your ass?”

“Hm, good question.” Reaching for the bag that sat between them, Fushimi pulls out a piece of the pineapple candy Mikoto had gotten him before. Candy from a bag that looked suspiciously empty compared to when he’d first started playing…

“Saru…” Eyeing Fushimi, Yata watches as he sets the bag back down. “How many of those have you eaten?”

“Hah? How the hell am I supposed to know something like that?” Pulling the candy closer, Fushimi begins to unwrap it slowly. “Besides, does it really matter? You said I could have some.”

“Yeah, asshole I said _some_! The bags just about empty!” Trying to prove his point, Yata grabs ahold of the package, only to let out a gasp. “N-No fucking way… That was the last one?!”

Pursing his lips, Fushimi shrugs. “In my defense, there was only half a bag left to begin with.”

“Give me that.” Glaring, Yata points at the candy in Fushimi’s hand. “Don’t you dare eat the last one!”

“No way,” Fushimi says, holding it defensively. “I got it first.”

“Those candies are fucking _mine_ , so I think you should do as I say and give it to me.”

“I beg to differ.” Motioning to unwrap it more, Fushimi ignores Yata’s complaints, keen on finishing the last one off himself.

Lunging forward, Yata makes a grab for the sweet, only for Fushimi to pull it away from him just in time. “Saru, don’t mess around!”

“You’re awfully serious about some candies, Misaki.” Humming, Fushimi’s entertained with Yata’s reactions. “What’s the big deal? Don’t you know you’re supposed to share with others?”

“I think I’ve shared enough with your ass!” About half a bags worth, in fact. Placing his remote on the table, Yata doesn’t break Fushimi’s gaze, like a trainer trying to keep an animal in place. Moving closer, Yata outstretches his hand. “Now, just hand it over.”

Unwrapping the candy fully, Fushimi holds it out in front of Yata, a smirk on his face. “Nope, don’t think so.” Before Fushimi even has the chance to bring it to his lips, Yata is lunging forward again, grabbing ahold of his wrist. “Wait, Misaki you’re going to –”

“Hah!” Yata exclaims, pleased with himself. He had successfully prevented Fushimi from eating the candy, holding his wrist in place. Without thinking, Yata brings Fushimi’s hand to his mouth, his lips brushing against Fushimi’s slender fingers as he chomps onto it. Immediately, the delicious pineapple flavor envelopes his mouth, eyes closing in satisfaction. _Yum!_

Opening his eyes again, Yata’s met with Fushimi’s shocked stare, a sort of realization hitting him. _W-What did I just…_ Face going red, Yata couldn’t believe himself. He had practically fed himself with Fushimi’s hand, and what was worse was their current position.

While Yata was preoccupied in getting the candy back, he didn’t even notice the situation he had gotten himself into. He was nearly in Fushimi’s lap, whose back was against the arm of the couch, eyes wide as Yata kneeled over him. Their faces were close, and Fushimi’s wrist felt hot in his hand. His legs were spread out on either side of Fushimi’s hips too, and Yata couldn’t help the sudden swarm of butterflies in his stomach.

 _He’s so close…_ Yata could feel Fushimi’s breath on him with the proximity. Hell, he could even smell the candies he had been eating. Fushimi’s eyes seemed to sparkle, the blue color taking a different vibrancy to them. They always looked beautiful to Yata, but with how close they were now, and with the faint blush that decorated Fushimi’s cheeks, Yata felt a sort of ache stirring up within him.

There had been an unmistakable tension between them since they had left the café, but it eventually started to fade while Yata was playing games. Faded as in he had tried his best to pour all of his attention on the game in an attempt to preoccupy himself. It had worked somewhat, but he had a feeling his poor gameplay had something to do with the current situation.

Even while he was playing he could make out every small movement Fushimi made while he sat beside him. The way the couch would sink beneath his weight just slightly whenever he’d change position, the way their knees were just about touching with how close they sat… Yata could barely concentrate knowing Fushimi was there. Fushimi was already a massive distraction in his daily life, thoughts of him swarming him all throughout the day. It was only amplified whenever they were together this, making it almost impossible to ignore.

He just felt… excited and bubbly knowing Fushimi was with him. He felt especially ecstatic now though, considering that they would be going to the amusement park together just the next day.

The original plan had been to go with everyone during the weekend, but since it was just them, he figured tomorrow would’ve worked better. Besides, they didn’t really need to run into everyone else while they were there. It was meant to be just them, after all. Fushimi had seemed surprised that it would be happening so quickly, but didn’t complain. In fact, he had even said he wanted to be with Yata as well… Honestly, he was still having a hard time processing that Fushimi had said something like that, the butterflies he’d been suppressing trying to break free.

He was a little troubled when Hidaka had asked Fushimi out in the beginning, but his earlier anger dispersed and turned to joy soon after. He might’ve been sort of grateful towards him now, thinking back on it. If he hadn’t of asked Fushimi out first, Yata was sure he would’ve tried to convince Fushimi to join them all instead. Asking him to go with him alone was millions of times better though, and he was beginning to wonder why he hadn’t thought of it sooner.

Just thinking that Fushimi had agreed to go to the amusement park alone with him had him on cloud-nine. It was hard to act normal with how happy he was. It was a shame they had been interrupted, the arrival of Fushimi’s weird club president stopping everything short. Because of him they had to stop holding hands, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. He had grabbed onto Fushimi’s hand in the heat of the moment, but he didn’t regret it at all.

It… had felt nice, actually. Yata was starting to feel like he’d like to try it again, or something. If Fushimi would let him.

 _The hell is that?_ He had never wanted to hold hands with someone before, so why…

Shaking the thought off, Yata tries to focus on his more immediate problem. The small semblance of calm he had reached while playing games was completely gone now, his nerves returning to him at full force. Fushimi was way too close, but Yata didn’t want to push him away.

It was like there was something he wanted to do, his memories of Valentine’s Day and from a few hours before coming back to haunt him again as he peered down at those blue eyes. _He’s not moving…_ Skin prickling, Yata’s face heats up. If Fushimi wasn’t moving, that meant… he didn’t hate it either, right?

Gulping, Yata searches those eyes for a moment more, before shifting a little closer, his eyes closing a fraction. It was like something was driving him, some sort of want – need, even. “Saru…” In response to his name, Fushimi’s eyes seem to go half-mast as well, as if waiting for Yata to make his move.

_Ring! Ring!_

Eyes shooting open again, Yata jolts back in surprise. “F-Fuck!”

_Who the hell could be calling now?!_

It was just like the last time, the two of them being interrupted in the middle of… something. Yata couldn’t help but feel irritated, along with a strange mix of disappointed and embarrassed. Fushimi’s eyes were wide in surprise, his tongue clicking in what Yata assumed to be irritation. Could Fushimi be feeling the same as him?

The thought that they had the same feeling had Yata tightening his grip on Fushimi’s wrist briefly. He wanted to keep this image in his memories, eyes absorbing the breathtaking sight of Fushimi beneath him. He didn’t think he’d be able to forget it anyways, but he was reluctant to let it end there.

Fushimi looked way too good like that, his cheeks tinted a light pink and his hair slightly messed up from Yata pushing him down. He looked vulnerable and open, and it was driving Yata up the wall. Biting his lip, Yata shakes himself out of it, his hold going limp. Whoever was calling, better of had a good reason.

Removing himself from Fushimi reluctantly, Yata tears his gaze to look for his phone. The ringing was more than annoying by this point, the insistent tone sounding like it was mocking him. “Alright, already!” Picking it up from the table, Yata glares at the name Doumyouji on his screen. _This guy!_ What was he doing calling him when he had just seen him a few hours before?! “What do you want?”

“O-Oh, Yata-san,” Laughing nervously, Doumyouji sounds surprised. “You sound upset…”

_I fucking wonder why!_

Ignoring the comment, Yata tries to get this over with sooner than later. “Did you need something? I’m kinda busy here!”

“Busy?” He could tell by the tone in Doumyouji’s voice that he’d peaked his interest. _M-Maybe I shouldn’t have said that…_ “Are you and Fushimi-san still hanging out?”

Doumyouji was oddly perceptive when it came to things like this…

“W-We are, so what did you need?” Bouncing his leg, Yata hopes he doesn’t say anything to make matters worse. He was pretty sure Fushimi could hear Doumyouji’s voice on the line, his voice being enthusiastic as ever.

“Oh! Never mind if you’re busy!”

“Are you sure?”

“Hm, well actually…” Stalling for a moment, Yata waits for Doumyouji to finish whatever he wanted to ask. “You should ask Fushimi-san if he’s watched the movie I lent him yet! I’m going to need it back soon.”

Sighing, Yata turns to Fushimi. “Doumyouji’s asking about a movie he let you borrow?”

“I haven’t watched it yet,” He drawled and clicked his tongue. Crossing his arms, Fushimi continues, “I didn’t even ask to borrow it.”

Chuckling at Fushimi’s displeasure, Yata returns to the phone. “He says he hasn’t watched it yet.”

“Awesome! I-I mean…” Tripping over his words, Doumyouji clears his throat. “You two should watch it while you hang out then! I really recommend it.”

 _A movie?_ Well, Yata wasn’t against it. He had been playing games for the past few hours, anyways, it was about time they changed it up. “Sure, if Saru wants to.”

“Great! Just make sure to bring it when we all hang out this weekend!”

“E-Eh? This weekend is kinda…”

“Oh, right,” As if something had just struck him, Doumyouji’s voice picks up again. “You two aren’t coming, huh?”

 _Shit, he heard all that?!_ He knew they had been watching them from the windows, but he didn’t think they could actually hear what they were saying. Perhaps it had just been wishful thinking on his part… They had only walked a couple feet from the entrance once they had gotten talking, so it wasn’t like it was impossible. _Or maybe that guy told them._ Fushimi had asked him not to, but Yata didn’t know him well enough to know if he’d abide by that request or not.

Either way, it seemed like Doumyouji already knew the truth.

“That’s so unfair! You two going before the rest of us!” He could hear the pout in Doumyouji’s voice before it seemed to take on a more mischievous edge. Yata somehow got the feeling that’s what he was really after. “But you’re so bold, Yata-san! Snatching Fushimi-san from between Hidaka’s fingers like that.”

 _He seriously wants to talk about that right now?!_ Discussing everything that had happened between them would be far too embarrassing, especially with Fushimi sitting right next to him. Besides, he didn’t have to make it sound like that! He just… wanted to be with Fushimi and he wasn’t about to let that Hidaka guy get the better of him!

 _Ah…_ Putting it that way, it did kind of sound like what Doumyouji was talking about. _E-Either way this isn’t the time to worry about that!_ Trying to put an end to it all, Yata speaks a bit louder than necessary. “L-Listen I’ll talk to you about it later, okay? Saru will give you your movie another time!”

“Wait, Yata-sa –”

“Talk to you later!” Tapping his screen, Yata hangs up the call prematurely. He didn’t want to be rude, but Doumyouji could wait for now. Besides, Yata was sure it was justified. _He interrupted us for nothing!_

“What was that all about?”

“Good question.” Silencing his phone for good measure, Yata tosses it onto the table. They didn’t need any more interruptions today as far as he was concerned. Leaning back onto the couch, Yata relaxes a little with Doumyouji out of the way. “He says we should watch the movie he let you borrow, though."

“Seriously?” Frowning, Fushimi sinks into the seat. “Why should we listen to him?”

“Well, he said he’ll need it back soon.”

“That’s not my problem.”

“Come on, Saru! What’s so bad about a movie?”

“For one, Doumyouji recommends it.”

“I doubt it’s that bad.” Nudging Fushimi, Yata eggs him on. “Let’s just watch it, yeah?”

Sighing, Fushimi gives in. “Fine, but don’t blame me if it sucks.”

Smiling, Yata nods. “Of course!”

\--

Yata was beginning to regret his decision.

He had made the fatal mistake of neglecting to ask Doumyouji what the movie was about, only to find out not even ten minutes in that it was a horror movie. Or, as Yata deemed them, the worst movies in existence.

_Damnit, Doumyouji!_

He had been trying to play it cool, but as the group of people that were running from some evil spirit started to disappear one by one, Yata was finding it difficult not to cover his eyes. He never watched these types of movies, unless forced. All of his friends knew he was bad with them – and would tease him about it, of course – but he had never really had a reason to bring it up to Fushimi before. Not that he could tell him, anyways. _He’d probably make fun of me too!_

Keeping his eyes trained on the screen, Yata wants to shout at the girl the movie was currently focusing on. She had gotten separated by one of her friends and was wandering the dark hallway, trying to keep quiet. Yata could tell something was going to happen though, the music suddenly taking on an ominous note. Nearing the end of the hall, the woman finds a staircase, littered with rubble and trash. It only led downstairs, the darkness of the place giving it the illusion that it was never-ending. _Don’t go down there, dumb ass!_

As usual with these movies, the lady does just the opposite, her footsteps echoing as she takes the first step. “T-There’s something down there, you know!” Yata yells at the TV, clearly invested. With each step the woman took, the more intense the music got.

_Shit, shit, shit!_

He really wasn’t good with movies like this.

Without noticing, Yata leans into Fushimi, their arms pressed close together. If he couldn’t cover his face he’d have to settle with this, instead. Being able to remind himself that he wasn’t alone helped to calm his nerves, if only for a second.

Taking one more step, a figure appears before the woman, a creepy face enveloping the screen. “Ahh!” Shouting, Yata pulls Fushimi’s arm close, burying his face into it. He didn’t care how he looked anymore, this shit was too much!

\--

_This is too much._

Despite having the movie playing right in front of him, Fushimi was finding it hard to concentrate. Yata had been pressed against him since just about the beginning of the movie. It wasn’t like he had wanted to watch it to begin with, but Fushimi found his heart racing with every squeeze to his arm. He could feel Yata’s fingers tighten on his shirt and the heat of his body as he pressed up against him. It was highly distracting.

Had it been anyone else, Fushimi was sure he’d have kicked them out by now. With Yata though, he had remained completely silent. He had planned to tease him originally, poke fun at him as he denied wholeheartedly that he was scared, but with the way Yata was acting, he didn’t have the heart. Having Yata cling onto him like this was far more satisfying than he would’ve expected. _I’ll have to get him to watch more of these…_

For once in his life, he might’ve actually been grateful to Doumyouji.

“Misaki,” Peering down at Yata, Fushimi waits for him to meet his gaze, only for him to bury his face in his sleeve further. _Tch…_ How could someone be so cute? “You’re squeezing me too hard, you know.”

With that, Yata pulls back, allowing them to make eye contact. His face was red and his eyes were wide. They were closer than he’d expected, his breath catching in his throat immediately. “S-Sorry!” Loosening his grip, Yata puts some space between them. He was still holding onto him, but it wasn’t with as much force anymore.

The movie was just about over now, the friends that had survived the ordeal now leaving the place battered and tired. Driving off in the car they had come in, they look out the window watching as the insane asylum they were at shrinks in the distance as they drive off. It was cheesy and melodramatic, and Fushimi was glad he’d be spared anymore horrible acting.

The only thing he cared about was the man sitting next to him, apparently having no plans of removing himself off him despite the movie being over. _Not that I mind…_ Yata could cling to him like that all night for all he cared.

As much as he enjoyed it though, there was only so much cuteness he could take before his heart would burst. With the credits now rolling, Fushimi contemplates what to do next. He had been kind enough not to tease him during the movie, but now… _Let’s see what he has to say._

“It’s getting late, don’t you think, Misaki?”

“Eh?”

“Maybe we should call it a night.” Holding back his smirk, Fushimi shrugs. “We have to wake up early for the amusement park tomorrow too, after all.”

“B-But it’s not that late yet!” Inching forward, Yata insists, “We can still do something else! Like another movie – a _normal_ movie, yeah! Right?”

“Hm, I dunno… I’m kinda tired.” He says, faking a yawn.

“Tired? You barely sleep!” Glaring, Yata pouts. “You… You’re totally making fun of me, aren’t you?!”

_Ah, I got found out._

“Oh?” Fushimi says, unable to hide his smirk anymore. “What gave you that idea?”

“I-I knew it!” Standing up from where he was sitting, Yata points at Fushimi. “Stop trying to kick me out, asshole!”

“What? Don’t tell me you’re too scared to go home.”

Gawking, Yata’s hand wavers.

_Bingo._

“I-I am _not_ scared!”

“Right, and that’s why you were clinging to me the entire time.”

“You didn’t seem to have a problem with it!”

Well, he was right about that.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Like hell you don’t!” Huffing, Yata sits back down. “I’m not going home yet and it’s not because I’m s-scared.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Smiling to himself, Fushimi looks for something else to watch. “Whatever you say, Misaki.”

Well, if Yata insisted on spending more time with him, he wasn’t going to complain. Even if he was a horrible liar.

“Since you’re not scared, how about another scary movie?”

“H-Hell no!” Getting an elbow to the arm, Fushimi snorts.

It was worth a try, at least.

\--

Flitting into consciousness, Yata inhales deeply through his nose, a familiar smell filling his nostrils as he does. _Smells good…_ Drinking up more of the scent, Yata feels a sense of comfort wash over him. There was just something about the smell that had him feeling at ease. Relaxing, Yata continues to lay in bed for a moment. He didn’t recall falling asleep, but with the light seeping through the cracks of the blinds, he knew he had slept through the night.

He was surprised at how well he had slept, his nerves from the night before making it hard to relax during and even before the movie. If it wasn’t the whole ghost thing that was messing with his head, it was Fushimi himself. He was able to ignore it enough for the most part, but there was a small bit of anticipation nagging at him throughout the entire night.

He may have been just _slightly_ frightened during the movie, but it wasn’t like he had purposely stayed longer than planned because of it… Or, alright, maybe he had, but it wasn’t the only reason! Of course, he wanted to hang out with Fushimi more, even if they were supposed to hang out only the next day. Other than the two of them watching another movie, he couldn’t remember much else.

Yawning, Yata tries to get comfortable again. He had an alarm set for when he was supposed to get ready and meet Fushimi, so what was the harm in sleeping in a little more? Snuggling into his pillow, Yata tenses as registers the firmness of it. _What the?_ Opening his eyes, Yata’s breath hitches. This… was no pillow.

 _S-Saruhiko?!_ He didn’t know how it had happened, but they had fallen asleep on the couch together. They were facing each other, their legs tangled as they tried to fit in the available space. Yata’s head was resting on Fushimi’s arm while his hand was wrapped around his slender waist. His face was burning as he realized the predicament they were in, but his heart almost stopped as he noticed that Fushimi mirrored his position, his armed draped over Yata’s side as well.

_Holy shit._

They were so close that Yata didn’t know how to react. His heart was thundering in his ears and the hand that was on Fushimi was beginning to twitch. The fact that he had been blissfully unaware of their current situation for the past few hours had Yata just about beside himself. They were in each other’s arms, for crying out loud! He could barely stay calm just by being around Fushimi, but like this, Yata was on the verge of a heart attack.

Trying to calm himself, Yata takes another deep breath. _I-It’s no big deal!_ He had spent the night at friend’s houses a number of times before. Except, he had never fallen asleep with any of them, while hugging at that. He wasn’t complaining though, Fushimi was warm and may have looked… unbearably cute in his current state.

He was still sound asleep, his face peaceful as he took rhythmic breaths. His eyelashes were long and even up close his skin looked soft. _Ah, his hair._ He had never seen it like this, being used to the way Fushimi usually styled it. His bangs hung over his face as usual, but they were out of place now. Much like his skin, Fushimi’s hair also looked soft, the tufts that were out of place calling out to Yata.

Sliding his arm off Fushimi’s waist carefully, Yata brings his hand forward. His face was burning, but before he could think twice about what he’s about to do, his fingers find their way to Fushimi’s hair.

Moving the strands that hung over his eyelids, Yata’s proved correct in thinking his hair would be soft. It felt nice against his fingers, the silky locks sliding to the side with ease. Fushimi’s skin was smooth, a fluttering sensation filling Yata as he felt it beneath his fingertips.

Just as he begins to move another lock behind his ear, Fushimi takes a deep inhale, freezing Yata in his place. Stopping briefly, Yata watches to make sure Fushimi hasn’t woken up at all, waiting until his breathing goes back to normal. When he’s positive he’s not conscious, Yata sighs in relief. _That was close._ Continuing where he left off, Yata pushes the hair fully behind Fushimi’s ear. It’s then that Yata notices that Fushimi’s watching him, his blood running cold. _He_ was _awake?!_

Caught in the act, all Yata can do is stay still as Fushimi’s eyes meet his, his hand stuck in place. He looked just about as confused as Yata felt upon waking up, his brows furrowing before his eyes go wide. He was sure his face was bright red by now, the two of them looking at each other in stunned silence.

“S-Sorry!” After a moment, Yata pulls his hand away, averting his gaze. “I didn’t – um, I-I mean… I just…”

Fushimi’s face was painted a light pink, a small smirk playing at his lip as Yata apologizes. “Taking advantage of me in my sleep, are you?”

“W-What the –” Gawking at the taunt, Yata stammers. “As if, y-you… creep!”

“Says the one who was touching my hair.”

 _He really was awake!_ He had made sure to wait until Fushimi was sleeping before moving his hand again and yet he was still found out. Something about that was suspicious, Yata was sure about it. “Y-You were the one acting like you were sleeping!”

 “Hah?” As if he were being accused of something untrue, Fushimi scoffs. “You’re imagining things.”

“Yeah, right _._ ” Puffing up in confidence, Yata’s feels a smirk forming on his face as he watches Fushimi’s own fall away. “You just so _happened_ to lay still after I moved your hair the first time, then all of a sudden your eyes were open! Don’t lie to me, Saruhiko!”

“… The first time?” Raising his brows, Fushimi looks perplexed. “You’re saying you played with my hair more than that?”

 _Ah._ Maybe he really hadn’t been awake then…

Shaking his head, Yata denies it. “I-I never said that!”

“I’m pretty sure you just did.” Breathing a laugh through his nose, Fushimi pauses, his body tensing.

“Saru?”

Noticing where Fushimi’s eyes were looking, Yata gulps. He had forgotten all about it in the midst of things, but… their position…

Immediately, the two of them lock eyes again, faces red as can be.

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi releases his hold on Yata’s waist, while Yata lifts his head from Fushimi’s arm. Untangling their legs, they sit on the couch together in awkward silence.

It was short-lived, but Yata may have enjoyed the closeness…

Hearing his alarm go off, the two of them are brought back to reality. “O-Oh, right!” Fumbling for his phone, Yata shuts it off. Scratching the back of his head, the embarrassment starts to wear off a little with the interruption.

The amusement park was going to open soon and they needed to get ready if they wanted to stay on schedule. _There’s no time to waste!_ Thinking of all the things in store, excitement bubbles up within him. He couldn’t wait to spend the day with Fushimi, it was like his whole being was shaking with excitement.

Bumping shoulders with Fushimi, Yata offers him a smile. “Let’s get ready to go, yeah?”

Getting a small smile in return, Yata has a feeling that he might not be the only excited one. “If you say so.”

He wasn’t sure why, but he could tell today was going to be great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is the slowburn killing you all yet? I hope so >:) Just to make you all feel better tho I just wanna let you know that it only gets worse from here on out <3 I have the next couple chaps planned out as well so (hopefully) I won't take too long to update ^^ Thanks for reading and I hope you guys liked it :D  
> Comments are always welcome hehe <3


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO!!! Yes... I am finally updating this fic and NO!! I did not give up on it! I will finish this even if it kills me. I'm sorry it took so long to anyone who even noticed lmao but I hope a 15k chap will work as a sufficient apology >o< Thank you Fuchsia for reading and correcting all of this!!! I write so much bs I couldn't do it without you <3 And thanks to Rylan too for helping me out a bit as well <3
> 
> ENJOY!!

Stepping into his apartment, Yata relaxes his back against the door and shuts his eyes. The memories from just before were flooding back to him, the images still fresh in his mind.

They had been cuddling last night – _all_ night, even – the two of them were wrapped up in each other’s arms and their faces had been close. Yata was feeling like he was burning all over, his skin feeling hot on the places Fushimi had been in contact with. He had never been so close to another person like that, aside from the few times he and Fushimi had gotten into similar situations. It was like they were prone to those things happening to them or something, thinking about it. Yata wasn’t exactly averse to it though, and he had to admit that the more it was happening, the more he was beginning to feel like he was _wanting_ it to.

Trying to calm his nerves, Yata takes a deep breath. He didn’t want to be acting weird when he saw Fushimi again, especially over something so small as simple body contact. _It’s no big deal,_ _just forget about it!_ Working himself up over nothing wasn’t going to do him any good, especially not with the long day ahead of him.

Still, though the close proximity left him feeling tingly and light, his mind wanting to replay the scene over and over despite his best efforts at trying to stay rational. While strange, it was a routine that was becoming almost inevitable with Fushimi. He couldn’t get him off his mind, or stop the burst of excitement he’d feel whenever they were together. He just... couldn’t get enough. It felt exhilarating in a way that was different than riding his skateboard to his heart's content, or how he’d feel watching Mikoto work. It was uplifting and satisfying, somehow.

_Saruhiko really works me up, huh?_

Embarrassing or not, Yata was feeling happier than usual thinking it all. On his list of things he liked most, being with Fushimi was probably at the top of it. He honestly couldn't think of a better way to spend his day off. Before meeting Fushimi, he would probably be at Homra like usual right now. Not to say he didn’t want to be there, but today was special.

Agreeing to get ready at their own places, they were set to meet up again in a little under an hour. He was thankful for the time apart, as it would give him a bit of time to calm down some. He wasn’t sure if it was working out though, adrenaline running through him at the thought of all the fun they were bound to have together. It was the same amusement park he would often take his siblings to, so it shouldn’t have been such a big deal. It was probably inevitable to feel so excited though, since this would be his first time going alone with someone else.

All the other times he had been to this park was with his siblings, and because of that, he was never able to go on any of the _real_ rides. All the coasters had a minimum height requirement, which neither his brother or sister made. With no other choice, the three of them would stick to the children’s rides. Yata didn’t mind it, though. It was his duty as the big brother. It was up to him to make sure they had as much fun as possible and if they were enjoying themselves, so was he.

While taking one for the team was fine and all, he was ecstatic that he’d finally be able to go on all the more exciting rides. It only got better knowing Fushimi would be with him, the two of them experiencing it for the first time together. It was surreal, but he couldn’t contain the excitement brewing within him. They would always stick to local places when they were together, so going out of the way like this gave Yata a feeling of adventure.

While Yata was more than enthusiastic, Fushimi didn’t appear too eager about their destination. He had made that much obvious at Homra the other day, but Yata wasn’t sweating it. What was important was the fact that Fushimi was going because _Yata_ was the one to ask. Feeling pride fill him, Yata smiles to himself. He had really gotten Fushimi to go with him! _I have to make today great!_ If Fushimi didn't care for theme parks, then he’d make it his own personal mission to change that.

Fushimi could be a bit grouchy sometimes, but Yata had hope. After witnessing Fushimi enjoy things he was apprehensive at trying plenty of times in the past, Yata was sure this time would be the same. He just had to get Fushimi out of his shell a little, was all.

After kicking off his shoes, Yata speeds towards his bedroom to grab a change of clothes for a shower. Emptying out his pockets, it's then that Yata remembers his cellphone. _Oh, right._ He had put it on silent last night in order to ignore Doumyouji's pestering and had completely forgotten about it until then.

"I should probably charge it, anyways." It'd be good to have around just in case the two of them lost each other somehow. He didn’t use his phone that often aside from messaging friends from time to time, but it was better safe than sorry. Plugging in his phone, the screen lights up automatically, causing Yata to widen his eyes in surprise. "Whoa, what the hell!"

He had a barrage of texts from not only Chitose, but a few more of his friends as well. For about a split second he was thinking that something might've been wrong, but as he catches a glimpse of the message windows, Yata's face heats up instead. _These guys, seriously..._ It really shouldn’t have been surprising, but as he unlocks his phone and reads through Chitose's texts fully, Yata doesn’t know how to react.

 **Chitose:** Hey Yata I heard you got a date with Fushimi!  
**Chitose:** Good for you man!

Eyes bulging, Yata rereads the messages over.

A date. With Fushimi.

"H-How the hell did he get that idea?!" He and Fushimi had plans for sure, but... a date? "H-He's probably just messing with me, that asshole!" Nodding vigorously, Yata convinces himself. It wasn't like this was the first time his friends had made such claims, so what was he getting so strung up for? This was nothing new.

Calming himself down a little, Yata glances back at the screen and realizes he'd missed another text in the midst of his freak-out.

**Chitose:** Just don't forget those condoms I gave you a while back! They might finally come into use ;) 

"W-What the fucking..." A date was one thing, but this... this was too much! He could still remember the day Chitose had given him condoms, his friend prattling on and on about some special technique of his to impress "any woman without fail". He had given some to everyone else as well, but he was the only bashful one. In fact, it was still embarrassing him just as much even now, if not more considering that the idea of something like that was now pertaining to an actual person. "Like hell I-I'm bringing those... those t-things!"

He had never been in a situation where they were necessary and there was definitely no way that would be the case with him and Fushimi. The two of them doing that was.. was... Face heating up impossibly, Yata slaps his hands to his face. _What the hell am I thinking about?!_ Thoughts like that would be the beginning of his demise if he let them fester.

He had never thought about anyone in particular in that sense, so why the hell was he thinking about Fushimi like that? Muttering under his breath, Yata complains to himself, “Che, that jerk’s always putting ideas into my head!” Even if he wasn't normally one to worry about things like that, he was still a guy when it came down to it. _Ahh, whatever, this is ridiculous!_

Closing out of the messages immediately, Yata tries to pull himself out of his train of thoughts. Of course something like this would happen. It was Chitose, after all. Even if it wasn’t anything new, that didn't mean his assumptions got any less troublesome, though...

Ignoring the heat in his face, Yata decides to check his other messages in hopes of a distraction. His hands were already sweaty from the roller coaster of emotions those few texts put him through, but there was no point in dwelling on it.

There were other texts from Kamamoto and Bandou, which left him feeling slightly better. They were never as bad as Chitose, so it was safe to assume he had gotten the worst over with. Or so he was hoping. There were still messages to check from Doumyouji as well... _I’ll worry about those later._ Yeah, that was probably for the best.

 **Bandou:** Are you really going on a date?! Damn man...  
**Bandou:** I gotta get me a girl soon!  
**Bandou:** Put the moves on him!

 **Kamamoto:** Yata-san, I’m glad to hear you're finally going on a date with Fushimi-san!  
**Kamamoto:** You got this. Go have fun!

Sighing, Yata relaxes a little. Their messages were still embarrassing, but they were a hell of a lot better than what Chitose had to offer. _A date with Saru, huh..._ It was obvious his friends had probably come up with the whole date thing after witnessing him and Fushimi the other day, but he still couldn't believe them. It almost made Yata feel like what they were saying was true and that they really _were_ going on a date. He wasn’t sure why, but the fact that they weren’t makes him feel down.

Ruffling his hair, Yata pouts a little. His emotions were beyond puzzling. What was there to be upset about? He had Fushimi all to himself today, so why was he feeling like this? A date was never something he had thought about, so why did it sound so appealing now...

Frowning, Yata braces himself before opening Doumyouji's messages. Out of all his friends, he and Chitose were the ones who were most ruthless, and Yata had a feeling he didn’t want to know what he had to say.

 **Doumyouji:** Have fun on your date tomorrow!  
**Doumyouji:** Don't forget to give me all the details!!  
**Doumyouji:** I told Fushimi-san the same thing, but I don't think he'll listen :(  
**Doumyouji:** Anyways good luck Yata-san!! I knew you could do it!

"Hold on..." Rereading the third message, Yata gulps. "H-He messaged Saru?! Does that mean... he thinks it's a date too?!" Feeling as if his heart is about to leap out of his chest, Yata's grip on his phone tightens almost enough to crack the screen.

He was aware that his friends were meddling in his business for the sake of their enjoyment, but for Doumyouji to go and mention that they were going on a date to Fushimi himself leaves Yata frozen in place. How did this happen? Why the hell was everyone so sure they were going on a date, anyway? They were just going to hang out like usual! The one who was trying to take Fushimi out on a date was Hidaka, not him.

Reminding himself of that fact, Yata’s eye twitches in irritation. He still couldn't believe the audacity of that guy, suddenly asking Fushimi out like that. He didn't mean to get jealous, but when Totsuka had said it was a date Yata just couldn't let it slide. Thinking about Fushimi and Hidaka hanging out alone on a date of all things... He didn't like the idea then, and he most definitely didn't like it now.

 _Wait_... The two of them? Repeating that over in his head, Yata stalls in his thoughts.

If Hidaka asking Fushimi to hang out with him alone is what made Totsuka consider it a date, then what was so different from what they were doing? Biting his lip, Yata furrows his brows in confusion as he thinks it over. He hadn't thought about it then, but... did he ask Fushimi on a date without realizing it?

“T-There’s no way!” Tossing his phone onto his bed, Yata begins to pace around the room. His face felt like it was on fire as he began to comprehend the situation. “A d-d-ate with… with S-Saru?!”

It was on impulse… The whole date thing had lit something akin to a fire in him. He didn't want Hidaka stealing Fushimi from him, so he did the only thing he could think of - which was to ask Fushimi to be with him instead. It wasn't any different from what they usually did and yet it was all in the same. Yata could be dense, but asking Fushimi to do the same thing with him that Hidaka had - especially after knowing it was a date - hadn't he practically asked Fushimi out as well?!

Thinking back on the atmosphere of the whole thing... it was so obvious. The way they were blushing like crazy, the two of them even admitting to wanting to be together... there was no mistaking it.

After accidentally asking Fushimi on a date and him _actually_ agreeing to it - the two of them were going on one. Not only that, but Fushimi was going with him rather than Hidaka, the realization leaving him trembling with elation. _He chose me..._

Why would Fushimi decide to go out with him though? Dates were something couples did, weren't they? _Does that mean... w-were..._ Shaking his head, Yata couldn't finish the thought. He was about to burst just from contemplating it. Things like going out on dates and romance were completely out of his realm and he didn't have the slightest clue what to do now that he was going on one. Add Fushimi to the mix and Yata was a goner.

He never even _been_ on a date before, so how the hell would he know what to do? It was fucking with him even more! _Wait, has Saru ever been on a date?_ The idea was a first, but it was definitely possible. Fushimi was good looking and smart, there had to be plenty of people that were into him. Hell, Hidaka was proof of that, asking Fushimi out right in front of him. _He’s totally been on a date before!_ Just thinking about it made Yata’s stomach drop, only for an even worse thought come to mind right after: Had Fushimi ever been in a relationship?

Frozen, Yata contemplates the idea. Fushimi being with someone else made him feel an impossible amount of frustration and jealousy. To think of Fushimi going out on dates, holding hands, or even kissing someone else... _Damn it!_ Shaking his head, Yata breaks himself out of his negative train of thoughts. That sort of thing didn’t matter right now. Even if he wasn’t good with things like this, and even if Fushimi _had_ been with someone else in the past, it didn’t change the fact that they were going on a date themselves.

The crucial thing was that he was the one Fushimi was going to be with today. Plus... there was always the off chance that this was also Fushimi’s first date. It was unlikely, but damn did it make him feel good to imagine.

He couldn’t help but wonder if Fushimi felt as eager as he did, a large grin on his face. _He fuckin’ better be!_ If Yata was busy thinking about it, he could only hope Fushimi was the same way. _Heh, maybe he’s freaking out about what to wear or something!_ It would both humorous and kind of cute, picturing Fushimi looking at himself in the mirror with that signature frown.

Pulse racing, Yata jolts from his thoughts as another one of his alarms go off. "Fuck," Reaching for his phone, he shuts it off as he notes the time. He had been spacing out for a good ten minutes without noticing.

Hastily, Yata makes his way to the bathroom. "Shit, I'm gonna be late!"

It was really happening - he was going on a date with Fushimi.

It was something he didn’t realize he was craving so badly until now. Whatever that said about him, Yata had a feeling he’d be figuring it out soon.

The answer was on the tip of his tongue.

\--

Fixing his hair for the umpteenth time, Fushimi clicks his tongue. He had been staring at himself in the mirror for the past fifteen minutes and yet he still couldn't get his hair to cooperate with him. He didn't get what problem was all of a sudden. It was the same hairstyle he had every day for years and he had never had a problem until now. It was like his hands wouldn't work with him or something.

"This is as good as it's gonna get." Giving up, Fushimi examines himself again.

Just like with his hair, it had taken him quite a while to decide on an outfit. Only after numerous tongue clicks and restless surveys of his closet was he able to settle on something relatively decent and he still felt restless about it.

Tilting his head from left to right, Fushimi frowns. He wasn't happy with his hair, but with all the rides Yata was sure to drag him on it was probably pointless to worry about it more than that. With how fast those things were, it would look ridiculous within in the first hour of being there. Fushimi could already feel his stomach churning, though whether it was from the thought of Yata or the rollercoasters, he wasn't sure.

For his outfit he was wearing black jeans and a dark blue coat with a light brown fur trim on the hood. Beneath it was a white turtleneck and, while it could get annoying to wear, it would do well to keep him warm. It was late February, meaning it was far colder than what Fushimi would consider enjoyable, regardless of what he was wearing. The weather was one of the main deciding factors in his choice of clothing, along with the hopes that maybe... Yata would find it nice as well.

It was annoying that it was even a concern to him. His mind would always wander to Yata without his consent, thinking about what he would look best in and what Yata might like. The influx of thoughts were only getting worse too, which he had Doumyouji to thank for that.

He had gotten more than one annoying text from him the night before, but was only bothering to check them now that he was alone in his apartment. He didn’t want to think about how he would’ve felt if Yata had been present while he was looking them over. That was his main reason for putting it off for so long. That, and he didn’t exactly want to hear what Domyouji of all people had to say, but here he was.

Resigning, Fushimi picks up his phone as he presses the home button. As the screen lights up to reveal his notifications, Fushimi’s eye twitches immediately in response. The message previews were enough to tell him everything he didn’t want to know about the contents. There was a lot more than he was expecting, too. _Annoying..._  Waiting was the right decision, after all. It would be far easier to keep his emotions from running wild with Yata absent.

He already had great difficulty composing himself around Yata and these messages would’ve done damage to what little control he had. The way he had let Yata cling onto him during the movie, and even allowing him to stay over only for them to fall asleep together was only evidence that he was being far too lenient with him.

It was unusual for him to let people get so close – physically and emotionally – but he couldn’t help it. As much as he would try to deny it, he definitely had a weak spot for Yata. He wasn’t the only one to notice his... fondness either, unfortunately. Doumyouji and the rest always made the most of it whenever they could. It was infuriating. _Just like now._

Reluctantly opening the messages, Fushimi sighs. The texts were definitely the type of nonsense he’d expect from Doumyouji, that annoying voice ringing in his ear while reading them over. It was mostly just him wishing Fushimi luck on his “date” while simultaneously trying to get information out of him.

Without bothering to reply, Fushimi closes out the messages quickly. He wasn't sure why he was even bothering to check them at all. Doumyouji wasn’t the only one to message him though. Akiyama and Enomoto had as well, the both of them spewing similar nonsense. Hidaka was the only one didn’t message him, which was unsurprising considering the circumstances. _He’s probably upset._ Well, it wasn’t Fushimi’s business.

Setting his phone back down, Fushimi thinks to himself. As annoying as it was to have his clubmates meddling in his personal life, something else was bothering him. The whole situation was making him anxious somehow. It wasn’t in a bad way, but it was odd. It wasn't like this was an actual date and yet he was still feeling prickly knowing that Yata would be showing up at his door. Fushimi could see the smile on Yata’s face clearly in his mind, the two of them heading out on their own little trip. _The two of us..._

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi shakes his head. The detail wouldn’t have stuck out so much before if it weren’t for all the implications behind it. Everyone was positive they were going on a date because it was only the two of them going out together, but they were mistaken... This was not a date by any means and he was completely fine with that.

Definitely.

Either way, he may have been looking forward to it. Yata had been so earnest when asking him to accompany him the other day. It made a small shiver run throughout him thinking about it. For Yata to want to be with him so badly... He didn’t realize someone wanting to be by his side would feel so nice.

Someone who he was also wishing to be with.

Hearing a knock on his door, Fushimi starts from his thoughts. “Finally here, huh?”

Admittedly, he had taken longer than usual to get ready himself. Yata was in the same boat he notes the time. When they did this before, Yata had gotten ready in no time, unlike today. It wasn’t like it had been _that_ much longer, if only another ten minutes or so. He was just feeling impatient.

Yata may not have been away for long, but there was definitely a difference. That much he was sure of. He couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, Yata had taken more time to get ready because he had done the same as him and was fretting about how to dress for their outing together. It made him feel a little less ridiculous, imagining things like that. Also, slightly tingly with hope. If Yata was worrying about something like what to wear, didn't it mean he was anticipating this just as much as he was?

_Could this mean... we're really..._

With another knock to his door, Fushimi snaps himself out of it. “Tsk. What am I thinking?”

It wasn't a date, no matter how long they took to get ready. It was common sense, so why was he acting like this? He didn't care about dates to begin with, and besides, Yata could’ve just gotten busy with something else and wasn’t paying attention to time. _Stop thinking about useless things._

Making his way to the door, Fushimi opens it to a pleasant surprise as Yata's figure comes into view, his eyes widening. It only takes a second of him looking Yata over for his face to go hot and for butterflies to form in his stomach. His reasoning for why Yata had taken longer than usual to get ready was correct after all, his clothing standing out in comparison to his usual outfits.

Yata was clad in a yellow coat along with a grey button-up and... another white collared shirt beneath that? It was odd seeing someone wear two collared-shirts, but the combination of the two was far more appealing than Fushimi would’ve expected. Despite never having seen it before, Yata was without a doubt pulling it off. It was impressive, really. He didn’t know Yata could look so stylish. Yata was also wearing a pair of dark blue jeans for once instead of his usual cargo shorts, which Fushimi’s couldn’t help but latch onto. It was Fushimi’s first time witnessing him wearing actual pants it in his time of knowing Yata and he had to admit... It was ridiculously becoming on him.

They fit him well with the fabric hugging his figure in all the right places, making his legs look better than usual. Fushimi could tell they had been too long originally though, with the way he was wearing them. He had the bottom cuffs rolled up a few times, leaving his socks visible. It definitely fit with Yata's personality. All in all, Yata was looking way too good and Fushimi had to make it a point to not stare – again.

His efforts at trying to compose himself were unnecessary, though. Yata’s own eyes were roving over Fushimi as well, distracting him from the fact that Fushimi was ogling him. Yata’s face was slightly pink and he was biting his bottom lip, almost as if he were trying to hold himself back somehow. His expression only flusters Fushimi even more, Yata’s intent gaze on him and him alone.

"What are you so busy staring at, idiot?" Yata’s trance is broken as the words leave his lips.

Tearing his eyes away from Fushimi’s clothes, Yata meets Fushimi's gaze instead. His face goes an even deeper shade of crimson as they look at each other. "E-Eh?!" Yata stumbled for words for a moment before collecting himself and yelling, "The hell! I wasn't staring!"

Raising his eyebrows, Fushimi hums. "Didn't look like it to me."

"Che." Shoving his hands into his pockets, Yata frowns. "Says you! You were doing the same thing, asshole!"

"Hah?" There was no way he had, he had made sure not to do so. "I was not."

"Yeah, right! It's just like at the party!"

Fushimi's face was definitely burning by this point, Yata's accusation catching him off guard. _First Doumyouji and now this?_ He couldn't believe how blatant he had been then, and here it was coming back to haunt him. "Tch. Whatever."

"Heh!" Pulling a hand out of his pocket, Yata points at Fushimi boastfully. "So, you admit it, then!"

He wasn’t admitting anything, but he certainly denying it either. "Shut up."

Grinning, Yata laughs a little. "Well, it's no big deal," Rubbing the back of his neck, Yata purses his lips. "I mean... If you're staring i-its not a bad thing, right? At least, that's how it is for me," Trailing off, Yata hesitates before taking in a breath as if to brace himself, the words coming out in a jumbled rush, "Y-You look really good, so, y'know?! I can't h-help it!"

Unable to form words, Fushimi stares at Yata in shock. He didn't expect a confession like that, especially not right off the bat. He was at a loss. A horrible yet wonderful loss that has his heart beating like crazy and leaving him breathless.

It was pathetic to react so strongly to such a simple compliment, but hearing Yata say that while looking so bashful and resolute was gratifying. All that extra time in front of the mirror was suddenly feeling worth it.

Recovering, Fushimi looks away briefly before peering back at Yata, taking him in once again. His expression was full of embarrassment and worry, as if he was thinking he did something he shouldn’t have. Fushimi didn’t feel that way at all though. If anything, it was making him want to hear more of that praise, Yata’s words filling him with satisfaction. Seeing Yata’s anxious expression made Fushimi want to give it back, to let Yata know that he did nothing wrong - that it was mutual.

It would be difficult and embarrassing, but witnessing Yata go out of his way to admit something that was so obviously making him anxious made him want If he could make Yata feel even a fraction of the happiness he was feeling now, then it would be worth the effort.

"Misaki..."

"I-It's fine!" Waving his hand, Yata shakes his head in embarrassment. "You don't have to say anything! I know it's... it's w-weird, or whatever, but – "

 _This idiot..._ Couldn’t he tell he was trying to compliment him? It was partially his own fault though, being unable to get the words out fast enough. _Just go for it._ If he took too long, Yata would certainly change the subject out of embarrassment. He couldn’t afford to lose this chance.

Fumbling for words, Fushimi blurts out something he hadn’t been meaning to say, his face paling as they spill out, “You’re wearing two collared-shirts.”

Smooth. Real smooth.

Taking in Fushimi’s “compliment”, Yata looks down at his shirts for a moment while Fushimi contemplates his existence. “S-So what?” Puffing up, Yata’s ears go red as he covers the shirts in a defensive manner. _Ah._ Maybe it was a sensitive topic? He didn’t mean it in a bad way, but as his luck would have it, he must’ve given the wrong impression. _Of course this would happen._ Why did he think he could compliment someone again?

“I just threw them on o-or something?! It’s not like I was worried about it or anything! It’s just, y-you know-”

"Misaki, it's fine." Trying his best to recover from this situation of his own creation, Fushimi locks their eyes as he tries not to lose courage. Their feelings were the same... So, it was fine. He could do this; Yata wouldn't judge him. "You... too."

"H-Huh?" Lowering his hands on his shirts, Yata furrows his brows in confusion.

Clicking his tongue, Fushimi can no longer fight the urge to look away as his eyes fall to his feet. _This is a mess._ He should've known some half-assed confession wouldn't work, but he had let his nerves get the better of him. It was hard for him to express himself fully, but imagining the look Yata would make in return to his admission continues to fuel him, allowing him to push himself further. "You... look good too."

More like striking, actually, but there was no way he'd be able to say that much.

Watching as the defensive look on Yata’s face turns into one of disbelief, Fushimi stands there for what feels like hours as he awaits Yata’s reply. It was tortuous. He didn’t know how Yata had been able to do this with how nerve-wracking it was.

He’s close to walking back into his apartment and erasing this whole situation from his memory when suddenly, a wide grin blooms across Yata’s features. That expression keeps him in place, the tension leaving him as butterflies take its place. "Ehe, thanks, Saruhiko!"

Yeah, it was definitely worth it.

Offering a fond smile back, Fushimi replies without hesitation this time, "No problem, Misaki."

\--

The park had less people than Yata was expecting, which was a nice surprise. It was helpful that they were visiting the park in the dead of winter, and on a weekday on top of that. Both of these factors serving to keep the masses at bay. It wasn't too cold for Yata though, and he couldn’t help but think things were working in his favor.

As awesome as everything was going so far, Yata was having a hard time calming himself. He... He had never been on a date before, so he wasn't quite sure of what to do. Listening to Chitose all those times at Homra before was more than enough to at least know to dress himself up well and to make sure that whoever he was with was having a good time. Other than that, he was at a loss.

He wasn’t someone who was up to date when it came to fashion, so he was hoping his outfit was sufficient enough. He had just thrown on some of his best clothes while hoping for the best, leading to his current getup. Fushimi on the other hand... was completely different.

Yata didn't think it was possible, but was looking far better than usual. The dark coat that he was wearing made his pale skin look even more delicate and his beautiful eyes stand out. He had only seen Fushimi wear hoodies and the like before, but it was clear that he had a good grasp on coordinating outfits. _He looks like a model._ It made him even more nervous seeing how attractive he was, but knowing that Fushimi put so much effort into an outfit for their date was encouraging.

_A date, huh?_

It was a fact Yata had to keep replaying in his mind in order to believe it, but this was the real thing.

Even though he was lacking experience in dating, there was still something comforting about the whole thing. He wasn’t sure how to put it, but because it was Fushimi, Yata had a feeling that things would turn out alright in the end. They always had fun together no matter what they did, after all.

"Saru, come on!" Running further into the park, Yata beckons Fushimi over. He didn't want to waste time loitering around, he had to make sure Fushimi got the full treatment. "We're gonna be late!"

"How can we be late?" Moseying over, Fushimi looks indifferent, "It's not like there's a time limit."

"Seriously?!" Yata was beginning to feel nothing could evoke excitement out of Fushimi. "If we wanna ride them all we gotta hurry up! We don't want the lines to get longer!"

“Are you even tall enough for the rides, Misaki?”

 _This bastard..._ He should’ve known teases about his height were going to make an appearance. Fushimi would taunt him about it enough on a normal basis, but it was inevitable with the mention of rollercoasters. It was common knowledge that there were height requirements and there was no way Fushimi wouldn’t take advantage of this perfect opportunity to jab at him for it. Expecting it didn’t make it any less annoying, though. “I-I am, damn it! Shut the fuck up! Why the hell else would I wanna come here?!”

“Beats me.” Shrugging, Fushimi smirks, “How would I know what an idiot is thinking?”

Fed up, Yata raises a fist in anger, “Fuck off, jerk! Y-You’re the one who agreed to come with me!” Crossing his arms, Yata lowers his voice, “Or... do you not wanna be here anymore?”

Spending time with Fushimi had him overflowing with excitement, but it wouldn’t be any fun if he was just dragging him along.

Getting a small sigh in return, Yata watches as Fushimi pouts. “I didn’t say that, idiot.” Picking up the pace, Fushimi catches up to Yata before passing him, no longer making excuses. For a second, Yata just watches as he continues walking ahead before perking up. Fushimi didn’t say it, but he didn’t have to.

Today was their day, after all.

Running up to Fushimi, Yata cheers in excitement, “Hell yeah, Saru! Let’s do this!”

Theme parks were fun, he'd show Fushimi that for sure!

\--

Theme parks were the worst.

Not only were they full of annoying, loud people, but with those death contraptions disguised as rides. It had been years since he'd last been to one, and quite frankly, Fushimi couldn't pinpoint what exactly was so amusing about them.

The lines were long and there were children screaming and running amuck everywhere. It was like some form of hell, and yet here he was. It was his own fault in the end, getting too caught up in the moment to refuse Yata after asking him to come here a second time. He couldn’t help it though, the thought of being together with Yata – just the two of them – was too appealing for him to turn down.

They had been in line for a decent amount of time, but like Yata had said, it was good that they had gotten there so quickly. Downloading the app for the park, Fushimi notes the wait time had gone up a good twenty minutes after entering the line themselves. _Guess he knows what he’s talking about._ It had never been the topic of conversation before, but maybe Yata he was a regular at theme parks? With that thought, curiosity gets the better of him as he glances over to the man beside him. Yata was being surprisingly patient, despite his earlier excitement.

Noticing Fushimi’s eyes on him, Yata raises his eyebrows. “What’s up, Saru? Somethin’ wrong?”

Shaking his head, Fushimi offers a shrug. “I was just curious about something, is all.”

“You’re curious about something?” Pausing for a moment, Yata brings his hand up to point to himself, almost unsure, “About... about me?” Nodding at Yata’s question, he gets a few blinks in what Fushimi takes to be surprise before Yata lets out a hum, “Heh, who would’ve thought!”

Frowning, Fushimi regrets even mentioning it. What was he thinking saying something like that? It was unlike him. “Tsk. Is it really that big of a deal?”

“Ah, well it’s not like it’s a bad thing!” Smiling, Yata seems to straighten up a bit, “If anything I’m kinda happy about it!”

Taken aback, Fushimi hesitates for a beat before speaking up, “Happy? Why?”

“Well, yeah! It’s kinda embarrassing, but uh...” Trailing off, Yata rubs the back of his neck, “I guess it’s nice to see you’re interested i-in me. Or whatever.”

Flushing at Yata’s words, Fushimi doesn’t know what to say. Yata had hit the target dead on. He didn’t think he was being transparent about it, but again Yata’s instincts had seen right through him. He was curious about Yata and his life, which was strange, thinking about it.

Before, the things Yata would say in passing would be more than enough for him. He would never ask anything himself, Yata speaking about his friends and family of his own volition. He still did the same now, but it was seeming like Fushimi had gotten greedier. It was as if the information Yata would provide him with wasn’t enough anymore.

To know more about the man next to him, to speak about things that were more than simple conversation, or a funny story that someone told him. He was starting to want something more than that... something more intimate. To feel like Yata could tell him anything.

To have such wants made him feel vulnerable. It was frightening to feel like this.

Things had been changing between them without him realizing and he didn’t know what to do about it. These feelings were growing like weeds within him, becoming stronger each day. He wasn't sure how to deal with such strong emotions. He had no prior experience with something like this, these feeling being were unique to Yata alone. Still, for all the anxiety bubbling within him because of them, they were also making him feel heady in a way, the positives outweighing the negatives. Yata saying Fushimi’s interest was also a great comfort, the words making his looming emotions seem less intimidating. In fact, it almost gave Fushimi the impression they were welcome.

Noting the silence, Yata seems to grow anxious. “W-Well spit it out already!” Yata blurts, “You’re making me curious!”

Sighing, Fushimi resigns himself. His slip up had him feeling a little restless, but it was nothing he couldn't deal with at this point in their friendship. Seeing how content Yata had been about it all gave him a boost of courage.

It was beginning to seem like the more Fushimi voiced his thoughts, the happier it made Yata. It was proven time and time again, even when would try to play it off. Admitting to wanting to be with Yata yesterday and that he thought he his outfit was nice today was proof of that. All of the things he had been afraid to admit only seemed to garner positive reactions and he almost couldn’t believe it. For his thoughts to mean so much to Yata... It was surreal.

 _Maybe I can voice some of my opinions more often..._ Just thinking about it made him tingle in anticipation, Yata’s grin flashing in his mind. He could feel a small smile pulling at his own lips, the image giving him the push he needed to speak up.

“It's nothing major,” Fushimi says, shrugging. “I was just wondering if you came here a lot.”

“Oh!” It was a simple question, but Yata didn't seem to mind it. “Yeah, I've come here with my younger brother and sister a few times before. They really love this place!” Looking off to the side, Yata almost seems wistful as though he were remembering something.

“There was a point where I didn't talk to my mom and them for a while... but things are fine now. It's fun doing stuff with ‘em and I wanna make the most of it.” Returning his gaze, Yata offers him a big smile before continuing, “Even if that means riding all the kid rides here, I don’t mind. I'm their big brother and they look up to me, so I gotta look good in front of them!”

It was surprising to hear Yata say that. This was Yata’s first time mentioning anything of the sort before, and with how positive he always was, Fushimi would have never been able to guess. But then again, knowing how Yata was, it probably shouldn’t have been such a shock. He wasn’t one to let things get him down, after all. With the way Yata was speaking though, it was leading Fushimi to believe that things were okay now.

He was glad if that was the case. Yata’s family was clearly important to him, the evidence showing in his features as he spoke about them. He was softer in those moments, his voice taking on a gentle tone. It was somewhat odd seeing the effect they had on him, since Fushimi couldn’t relate to having a real family. Not that it was a problem or anything – it was normal by now.

Relationships and family were enigmas. They were unpredictable, no matter who the person was. It was one of the reasons he had been avoiding making friends, his own “family” had shown him the ugly side of relationships. It was best not to trust people, they would only use you for their own entertainment before tossing you aside. Because of that, Fushimi had chosen not to include anyone in his life. Friends, lovers, whatever it was people seem to so desperately search for. He was fine on his own, and a solitary lifestyle suited him perfectly.

It was simple to do, really. All it took was a sharp glare or harsh comment towards any initiation at friendship or the like to make people give up on him. He had keeping people away down to an art. Things had been working according to plan for the past few years, and he was expecting it to stay that way too, until recently.

Despite keeping the same attitude upon entering university, it had been proven useless upon joining Scepter 4. He had no intention of making friends, which was something he had made that very clear from the beginning. The unfriendly aura he would project whenever coming to meetings was enough to keep everyone away, but it was short-lived. In the following weeks, his club members would only grow more courage in approaching him.

It was aggravating meeting such resilient people – namely Hidaka, Doumyouji, and especially Munakata – no matter how much he’d push them away, they wouldn’t budge one bit. Most people would’ve given up within the first few days, but they were different. Not too long after meeting them, Fushimi had come to the realization that it was more effort trying to get them to leave him alone than it was to let them do what they want. After that, it was as though everything began to snowball.

While Munakata had been all smiles and overly friendly, Hidaka and Doumyouji would start to hang around him. Welcoming themselves with awkward smiles, Akiyama and Enomoto would join soon after, the two of them noticing what was going on.

That was the beginning of all of this, the five of them and a number of his other clubmates cracking the door that he had shut so tightly open. Yata had been the one to knock it down completely though, barreling into his life without a single worry as he unknowingly began to change his world. Yata was the one to force him into seeing what he had been ignoring for so long, and the proof of that was showing now in where he was and who he was with.

Pulling Fushimi out of his shell numerous times and coaxing small smiles out of him was a seemingly effortless task for Yata. He constantly made Fushimi feel warm with just his presence alone. Everything with Yata was easy. They were so different and yet so alike. It was a sensation Fushimi couldn’t get enough of. It was as if Yata had a magnetic aura around him making Fushimi gravitate towards him. No matter how much he tried to play it off, Fushimi had a desire to be with him.

The dull, mundane world he had been in before was bright sun, reigning freely and shining light on it all. It was these things that made Fushimi want to believe that their future together would last – whatever that future together was – to believe that they had something special.

was no other way for him to explain it. After all, Yata _himself_ was special to Fushimi... It was in a way that no one else was or ever had been in his life. Catching onto that thought, something clicks within him and his heartbeat begins to speed up. Fushimi could feel the puzzle pieces begin to fit together in his head and he couldn’t help but continue to solve it, his mind moving a mile a minute.

For Yata to be so important to him and for him to want their future to last. To want to be with him all the time, only to feel like he was giddy and warm whenever he actually was. Wanting to hold his hand, the disappointment he was feeling after convincing himself it wasn’t a date, and the dissatisfaction that would wash over him whenever someone would interrupt them from being so close to each other, their faces near...

With the last of the pieces being put into place, Fushimi feels the air in his lungs leave him. All of it could only mean one thing.

_I like Misaki._

Saying the words in his head, Fushimi feels a wave of different emotions overwhelm him. Embarrassment, exhilaration, and even dread begin to course through him, as though something was unlocking inside him. Processing everything, Fushimi feels both horrible and delightful all at once. Was this what it was like to have a crush on someone? To feel like you wanted to hide under a rock and die of happiness at the same time? It was shaping up to be that way, the budding anxiousness he’d been feeling finally bubbling over.

Even if it was his first time admitting it to himself, it didn’t feel as surprising as one would expect. Maybe part of him was already aware of his feelings. It would explain why he’d gotten so defensive when Doumyouji had said they had feelings for each other, the emotions within him begging for acknowledgement.

With that single revelation, it was like a wall he’d been trying his hardest to keep up had finally been torn down – all the thoughts he’d been trying to force back were now rushing to the forefront of his mind. It was only worsening his current state. He was finally realizing why he was so upset by this whole outing not being a date. He had been trying to ignore it since yesterday, but his brain wouldn’t allow him to shut it out anymore.

A date. He was craving for this whole thing to be a real, actual date so badly it was unfathomable. He didn’t know who he was trying to fool in his attempt to brush it off before, considering how obvious it all was now. All of it was visible in what he was currently wearing, how it had taken forever to style his hair, and the excitement from the prospect of going out somewhere with Yata urging him on subconsciously.

 _Honestly..._ For him to become some idiot who would actually worry about appearances and dates, he didn’t know what to think of himself. Just what had Yata done to him?

Still, to realize these things now of all times... It was most inconvenient.

Fushimi wasn’t sure how to act now that his feelings were out in the open. Continuing to act as he had been up until now would’ve been the logical thing to do, but he had a feeling that wasn’t going to be an easy task. Especially not while they were alone and on a not-date in an obviously go-to place for couples. Speaking of which...

Glancing around, Fushimi frowns. He wasn’t paying attention before, but now it was like couples were all around them, standing out clearly in the crowded line. It only made him more conscious of his newfound feelings, his fingers toying at his sleeves as a small outlet for his nerves.

_This is hell._

“Saru?” Yata calls, concern on his face. “Are you okay?”

Resisting the urge to jump at the sound of Yata’s voice, Fushimi tries to calm his heart as it beats rapid in his chest. It was hard to look at him properly as he lifts his gaze, Yata’s natural appeal amplifying somehow. He _really_ didn’t know how to react in this situation, the words he was trying so desperately to come up with refusing to come out.

Liking someone is a pain.

Frowning a little at the lack of reply, Yata rubs the back of his neck, “Sorry, I guess I said a little too much.”

Hearing that, Fushimi tries to shake himself out of it. All Yata had done was ask him if he was alright, and here he was spacing out like a moron. _This is ridiculous_. What was getting nervous now going to do?

Learning more about Yata was what he was aiming for and he didn’t need Yata getting the wrong idea all because he was having an internal crisis. He hadn’t exactly meant for a conversation about _family_ of all things to lead to the realization of his feelings, but there was nothing he could do about it now.

 _Just calm down_. Even if he was crushing – hard – on the man beside him, it was still just Yata. The same Yata that made everything as easy as breathing, that had excitement coursing through him for everything he had in store. _It’s just Misaki._ What was he worrying for?

“No, you didn’t.” Shaking his head, Fushimi catches the way Yata seems to relax. He had been the one to ask, so there was no need for Yata to feel like he was bothering him with his story. If anything, it was welcome. “I want to know.” _To know more about you._ “I asked, didn’t I?” _Because you’re important to me._ Getting a nod in return, Fushimi sighs at the thoughts plaguing him. They really wouldn’t leave him alone anymore... It was troublesome. “You and your family...” Gauging Yata’s reaction, Fushimi pauses before resuming to make sure he's not crossing a line. “Are you close?”

“Heh.” Putting his hands on his hips, Yata’s grins. “Of course!”

“I see...” Suddenly unsure of what to do with himself, Fushimi shoves his hands into his pockets as a distraction.

He had asked about Yata's family to learn more about him, but in turn he'd ended up learning more about himself. Or rather, his feelings. Understanding everything now didn't necessarily change anything, though. He and Yata weren't on a date, which he was finally allowing himself to admit to wanting, but most importantly... He didn't know if Yata felt the same.

He could feel his stomach dropping a little as he thought about it. He didn't want Yata to get the wrong idea again with how weird he was acting, but he was starting to grow restless at the possibilities he was only now enabling himself to imagine.

Did he even want to know how Yata felt about him? He was special to Yata, sure, but in what way? _Special, huh.._. Repeating it over in his head, Fushimi couldn't believe how much the nuance of a single word could change in less than twenty-four hours. He was able to admit that Yata was special to him yesterday, but he didn’t realize it was in _that_ way. _How did I not notice?_ Of course these were romantic feelings, it had been clear all along.

“Hey, Saru...” Noting the change in Yata’s voice, Fushimi watches as he begins to speak. He was grateful for the interruption, his thoughts reaching an embarrassing point quickly. How much was he going to think about this stuff now that it was in the open? It was going to drive him insane.

Almost tentatively, Yata continues as Fushimi awaits the rest of his words, “What about you and your family?”

 _Ah._ He was expecting things to come to this, but he was hoping it wouldn’t. He was the one to ask about family first, so it was only natural Yata would also grow curious. He wasn’t the first to inquire as Fushimi’s clubmates had asked about his family a few times in the past. Fushimi was always able to shrug it off somehow, or would just blatantly ignore the question. It was a topic that was off-limits, but with Yata... He didn’t feel as reluctant to talk about it.

There was something intimate about sharing personal information to each other, and while Fushimi would usually steer clear from any such intimacy at all costs, it was somehow appealing in that moment. He had a feeling that was part of actually liking someone, wanting to give a part of yourself back in exchange for the same thing. It was exposing, but he didn’t completely hate it. Yata wanted to know more about him and if it was anything like it was for him, it was probably a good thing, right?

Thinking of it that way, Fushimi begins to feel some of the tension leave him. “We’re not close,” he says promptly, unable to keep the cold edge out of his voice. Talking about those people always left him feeling bitter, a sour taste in his mouth at the reminder of his so-called parents. It wasn’t as bad as it was before, but he still wasn’t completely comfortable with the subject.

“We’re not a family at all. Not that I want us to be, anyways.” Sighing, Fushimi tries to relax himself a little. He could talk about it now... He was doing better. “That guy was nothing like a father, and the same goes for that woman. For the longest time... I was alone and wanted to leave that place. To be anywhere but there.” The more he spoke, the more the words came tumbling out. It was as though he had been waiting to say it aloud for years, an ache building within him. “I didn’t belong there, a fact she made very clear. And her husband... He had his own way of taking care of me, I guess you can say.” He didn’t want to go into too much detail with that one, but it probably wasn’t hard too hard to guess what he was trying to say.

“Oh,” is all Yata says, before going completely quiet.

Yata’s response made him restless, regret filling him instantly. He wasn’t planning on saying so much and the idea that he shouldn’t have was plaguing him. He probably could’ve gotten away with only saying they weren’t a family, but he couldn’t take it back now. It wasn't the nicest of subjects though, so Fushimi couldn't blame Yata for his reaction. He couldn't be sure how he'd react in a similar situation himself, to be honest.

For a second, the two of them stay silent as the line moves forward again, the people around them filling in the opening spaces. He could see the entrance of the ride coming into view as they walk. Seeing that, Fushimi almost expects Yata not to say anything else on the matter. It was the perfect chance for Yata to change the subject and Fushimi isn’t sure if he would rather that than continuing to talk about those people. He doesn’t have the chance to decide, as Yata begins speaking again.

“Well, I kinda understand.” Catching onto Yata’s face, Fushimi watches as he rocks on his heels. “My mom got remarried when I was younger, my real dad was a total shithead. I don’t remember ‘cause I was young, but it had to be pretty shitty for her to leave him and go so far as to change my surname, yeah?” Looking to Fushimi, Yata lets out an empty laugh. “She doesn’t like to talk about it, but I don’t really mind. He doesn’t matter to me.” Yata shrugs and purses his lips before continuing, “When she got remarried though, I felt... out of place, I guess. Like you.” Eyes widening, Fushimi feels a twinge in his chest. “I wasn’t a part of the family – their family. My mom did her best to include me, but I dunno. It was just a feeling I couldn’t shake.” Kicking at the ground, Yata stays quiet for a moment as if he’s composing himself.

It must not have been easy for him to talk about these things either, but seeing that Yata was trying to put his thoughts into words was touching. It was like they were both trying their best to share a part of themselves with the other, even if wasn’t a topic they were comfortable with. It might’ve been a reach, but Fushimi latches onto it. Things would be mutual between them once more if that were really the case. _Mutual..._

“I wanted to get out of there too, which is why I said we didn’t talk for a while. I went and did my own thing for a few years.”

Taking in the new information, Fushimi takes in a steadying breath. To think they were similar in such a significant way... Both of them coming from homes they left behind, struggling to find a place where they fit in the world. He couldn't exactly say it was a good thing they had gone through such events, but even so, Fushimi could feel the affinity between them grow stronger with it.

“Ah, actually, that’s how I found Homra. I was looking for somewhere to work and Kusanagi-san took me in.” Gradually, Yata’s features begin to soften again. “Not long after that I officially started studying under Mikoto-san! It’s only been a little more than a year, but it feels like I’ve known them for forever!”

“Just a year?” Fushimi questions, his brows raising.

“Heh, yeah!”

For only knowing everyone for a year, everyone was so comfortable with each other. The way they were constantly messing around and teasing one another, a year didn’t seem long enough. An outsider would never be able to tell that Yata wasn’t a part of a group from the beginning, their relationships seeming so natural. Thinking about it, things were the same way with the two of them, Yata somehow being able to close to distance between them with ease after only a few months.

His personality was genuine and bright, pulling people in with a force that only Yata could manage. It was so intoxicating that Fushimi had unknowingly become victim to it, only to realize when it was already too late.

Yata had him under his spell.

“I’m done for,” Fushimi mumbles to himself. He was so far down the rabbit hole there was no way he could pull himself out of it now, the weight of his feelings only solidifying with every passing moment.

“Eh? What was that, Saru?” Yata asks, moving closer in an attempt to get a better listen.

Seeing Yata’s face up close causes a blush to bloom on Fushimi’s cheeks, his eyes averting involuntarily. He wasn’t expecting Yata to catch onto his words with how quietly he’d been speaking. His hearing is seriously too sharp. He was grateful Yata didn’t understand what he said, at least. He didn’t want to imagine what sort of excuse he’d have to make for saying something like that in the middle of a conversation.

“It was nothing.” Forcing himself to make eye contact once more, Fushimi urges himself to act normal. “What were you saying?”

Eyeing Fushimi for a beat, Yata relents as he leans back into his original position. It was both a relief and disappointment at the same time and Fushimi has to mentally kick himself to keep his thoughts from meandering.

“Ah, right.” Suddenly looking bashful, Yata scratches at his nose. “I was just gonna say that before too long everyone kinda... began to feel like family.” Pausing, Yata shakes his head abruptly. “No... they _are_ my family." Straightening up, Yata's perkiness seems to return as he speaks about the present. “I guess they kinda helped me to realize that you can have family outside of blood, y’know?”

The words comfort Fushimi in a way he can’t place as he repeats them in his head. It was simple. It was something he was aware of, but it was his first time applying the ideal to himself. Having someone as your relative didn’t automatically make you close to them, whether they were distant family or parents. It was the same with people who weren’t your family. Even if they weren’t blood, it was possible for them to almost become as such. Hearing Yata reiterate the fact and seeing the proof of it in Yata’s own life makes something click inside him, the concept somehow speaking to him...

“It’s the same with you and those guys from club, right? And your captain?”

As soon as the words leave Yata's mouth, Fushimi feels the world around him freeze. Did he really hear Yata correctly?

“Hah?”

“They’re your family, aren’t they?”

“That’s not -”

Waving his hand, Yata cuts him off. “Yeah, yeah. I know you’re gonna deny it, but I know the truth.”

As a frown forms on Fushimi's face from the confident statement, a smirk appears on Yata's. He was clearly enjoying this, proud that he was able to read Fushimi so easily despite his protests. Fushimi didn't approve of where this was going one bit.

Yata offers an understanding gaze and says in a gentler tone, “Even if your family is shit, you still got them. Your captain is kinda creepy, but... I don’t think he’s a bad person.” Pausing for a beat, Yata grows silent as his face begins to grow red, something apparently coming to mind.“A-And besides, you got me too now, alright? S-So don’t go getting lonely, you got it?! You’re not alone anymore and I’m not g-going anywhere, so... yeah,” finishing lamely, Yata huffs in embarrassment and crosses his arms.

Just when the heat in his face was beginning to fade, another flush paints his cheeks with those heartfelt words. Yata somehow had the talent of knowing just what to say to throw him out of equilibrium, Fushimi's world spinning. It was both a good and bad thing, depending on the situation. He didn't care to admit it, but Yata was right.

He had people that cared about him now and he may have... cared about them too.

Yata included.

The restless feeling from before was now returning tenfold. His whole body felt warm with all the realizations that were hitting him in the face. It was overwhelming to come to terms with so many things at once, but he wouldn't say it was a bad feeling. It was just... new to him. New to know that the people in his life were with him not for their own entertainment or to sneer at him, but because they truly wanted to be. It was a good kind of overwhelming. He was feeling more positive emotions in one day than he had in his entire life.

_I can’t handle this._

As much as he enjoying hearing about Yata, Fushimi could only take so much of the embarrassment and the feelings that came with it. Realizing he was crushing on Yata and that he had people to call family was a lot to take in in one day, after all.

Deciding to bring them back into more comfortable territory, Fushimi already feels a taunt forming on his tongue, a smirk pulling at his lips as he imagines the reaction he’ll get. “So, does that make us family then, Misaki?”

“Eh?” Head whipping around, Yata’s eyes are wide. “Where the hell did you get that idea!?”

“You were saying that family didn’t need to be blood, to which you then said that I had you...” Humming, Fushimi revels in the blush that was now spread to Yata’s ears. “So we’re family then, right?”

“W-We’re not family! No way! With you it’s... we’re...” Furrowing his brows, Yata bites his lip.

Awaiting the rest of Yata’s words, Fushimi feels anxiety bubbling within him. The words don’t come however, and he couldn't help the bit of disappointment working its way through him in reaction to that. He could already tell this whole crush thing was going to be a pain in the ass... Either way, he had been the one to start this, so the least he could do was finish it. His heart couldn’t take the wait, anyways. “So then, what? You’re not making any sense, Misaki.”

“I-I know that, already!” Yata sighs in frustration as he ruffles his hair, “Y-You’re special to me, but y-you’re different! We can’t be family that’s...” Shaking his head, Yata rejects the idea. “W-Whatever we are, it’s not that! And you better get that straight, damn it!”

Hearing Yata call him special once again does things to him, his body feeling light and airy. He wasn’t sure what type of answer he was expecting to get, but what he got was good enough. It was pleasing to know that Yata didn’t consider him family, a niggle of hope forming within him.

As a small smile graces his features, Fushimi moves along with the crowd as the line moves forward again, a lilt in his voice, “Whatever you say, Misaki.”

\--

The first ride wasn't that bad since Yata had chosen one that was pretty tame in terms of roller coasters. It might’ve been somewhat enjoyable, the speed and slight drops on it giving him an adrenaline rush. It was entertaining to hear Yata yelling in excitement beside him too, the sounds leaving his mouth being different from those around him. Where everyone else's screams were annoying, Yata's weren't like that. It was nice to hear he was having fun – it was contagious.

He had completely forgotten about the element of photos in rides though, the picture that was taken just after a bigger drop being shown off on one of the screens upon exiting the ride. There were a number of other pictures from other riders as well, but the one containing him and Yata is what he was paying attention to. It made him to die as soon as he saw it, not that Yata was aware, a happy chuckle leaving his lips.

“Saru, look!” Pointing to the photo, Yata laughs some more, “Your face is priceless!”

Looking himself over, Fushimi frowns. In the picture, his hair was out of place, the wind blowing it around without regard to the time he’d spent styling it. He had an awkward expression on his face too, his eyes wide with shock and a small, clumsy smile pulling at his lips. He couldn’t even recall reacting like that while he was on the ride, which only made things worse. It was horrifying having Yata see him like that, much less on camera for him to stare at.

The photo was more flattering to Yata than it was to him, at least. He had a wide grin on his face and he had his hands up in the air, despite previous warnings from the attendants to do not so. Without his usual beanie, his hair was out of place just as Fushimi’s was. Unlike him though, Yata’s flamboyant hair was cute and Fushimi had to fight the urge of wanting to put it back into place himself.

The thought reminds him of when he’d almost done that exact thing when he awoke to the sight of Yata asleep at his apartment. He couldn’t keep his hand from moving then, only stopping himself at the last second. The subconscious want to touch Yata was still plaguing him now though, regret surging through him that he hadn’t done so then. The need to feel Yata's hair between his fingers was far stronger than he could fully comprehend.

“I’m totally gonna buy this!” Yata says, snapping him from his thoughts.

_What._

“Misaki, what –” Before Fushimi has the chance to question it, Yata’s running over to the kiosk. _This idiot..._ What was buying a picture like that supposed to get him? Trying to put a stop to it all, Fushimi strides over to Yata who was already talking to the man at the counter. He was a bit too late though; The man had already began printing out the photo. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Huh?” Taking the envelope, Yata hands the man his money as Fushimi’s eye twitches. _This can’t be happening..._ He didn’t want Yata owning a picture like that of him. He looked ridiculous!

“I’m buying it, obviously!”

“Why do you need something like that?”

“Oh, come on!” Walking away from the counter, Yata opens the envelope. Looking over the picture again, Yata smiles. “Heh, don’t you think it’s pretty good? I’ve never seen you look like that before.”

“It’s not good at all.”

Pouting, Yata holds the picture close to his chest as though he was afraid Fushimi would steal it. “What’s the big deal, Saru? Don’t tell me you’re embarrassed.” Hearing the sudden lilt in Yata’s voice, Fushimi knows he’s been seen through.

 _Honestly..._ He was cursing himself for forgetting about the photos, otherwise he wouldn’t have been in this predicament.

“I’m not embarrassed,” he mutters, not even believing himself. Looking like an idiot for eternity on some dumb ride didn’t sit well with him. If going to a photo booth would get Yata to throw that thing out he would do it, despite his enormous hatred for them. At least then he could _try_ to look more presentable, rather than looking like a complete goof. “It’s just not... the best picture of me.” Not to say he was exactly photogenic, but still.

“Seriously? You’re worried about something like that?” Rubbing the back of his head, Yata purses his lips, his face growing pink. “I-I think you l-look good. Y-You look different than usual, but i-it’s not in a bad way! You look...” Looking away, Yata bites his lips before looking back up to Fushimi. “You look c-c-cute, damn it!”

His earlier thought of wanting to die was coming true, Fushimi’s soul now ascending at words he never thought he’d hear.

Cute. Yata thought he was _cute_.

He could feel his face burning at the compliment, the words reminding him in full of his newfound feelings towards Yata. Hearing his crush call him cute was almost too much, his hands growing sweaty and a lump forming in his throat. The sentiment was nice, but definitely not good for his heart. To have Yata describe him as cute... Fushimi was starting to feel like today wasn’t real. _Misaki is going to kill me._

“Cute,” Fushimi repeats. “Me. Cute...” Pausing, Fushimi just stands there, too in shock to say much else.

“Seriously?!” Reaching up to cover his face briefly, Yata pulls his hands down again in a dramatic manner. “Can you quit repeating it? You’re embarrassing me!”

 _You’re telling me._ How did Yata think he was faring?

“And how do you think I feel?”

“W-Well it’s your fault! You’d probably sulk about it all day if I didn’t admit it!”

Frowning, Fushimi didn’t want to admit how true that might’ve been and opts to stay quiet. Yata seems to take his silence the wrong way though, his foot tapping nervously.

“I won’t say it again if it bothers you, though.” Scuffing his feet on the ground, Yata scratches his nose. “Just thought I’d say it.”

 _As if something like that would bother me..._ He didn’t think he could ever oppose hearing something like that - especially from Yata – despite disagreeing to it. He would never describe himself as cute, but when Yata was the one saying it, he couldn’t help but feel elated. His goddamn _crush_ of all people was calling him cute to his face, how could he not be happy?

The positive energy radiating within him seems to have an effect on him, his mouth moving on its own, “If anyone here is cute... it’s you, not me.” It hits him as soon as he finishes speaking what he’s just done, his body tensing.

_What did I... just..._

“Huh?! W-Wha - What did you just say?!”

The surprise in Yata’s voice causes Fushimi to shrink in on himself. “It’s nothing,” he says, walking away promptly. He didn’t mean to say that, but in the face of Yata, his self-control was always wavering. “Just forget it, it's stupid.”

“W-Wait! Don’t just walk away, Saru!” Feeling a tug on his wrist, Fushimi reluctantly obeys, though he keeps his back to Yata. Everything that was happening today was flustering Fushimi too much for him to look back at Yata. Why did he have to end up liking Yata? And why did he have to notice it _today_ of all days? It would just complicate things... His emotions running high from just a single compliment. There was no way he was going to be able to act normal anymore, he was sure of it. Never realizing his feelings would’ve been much better, keeping the both of them out of all the trouble it was causing. “It’s not stupid at all! I-I’m happy about it, seriously! R-Really... Happy.”

Noting the earnestness in that voice, Fushimi risks a peek behind him. Yata’s face was red as could be, but he didn’t look away. “Misaki...”

“I was just surprised! I-I didn’t expect you to say it back.”

“Should I not have?” Even if Yata had said it made him happy, he was still feeling self-conscious about it. It was absurd to feel this way from saying one simple compliment. He had said Yata looked good just this morning, after all. He should’ve known doing it once wouldn’t be enough to kick his nerves to the curb.

“N-No! You should have! You can do it whenever you want, even!” Despite being the one to say it, the look of shock on Yata’s features were clear, “I-I, uh, w-what I mean is -”

Seeing the way Yata was fumbling for words makes Fushimi feel better somehow. Knowing they were both obviously out of their element, was comforting somehow. As he regains confidence, Fushimi smirks impishly. “Anytime I want...” Turning back around, Fushimi makes sure they’re face-to-face as he begins to tease Yata, “So you like being called cute then do you, Misaki?”

“H-Hell no!” Immediately, Yata’s voice raises, “If anyone else were to call me cute, I’d kick their ass!”

 _Ah._ Already his plan was backfiring. With that, Fushimi’s heart flutters at the implication that only he could call Yata such a thing. _What are you doing saying something like that, Misaki?_

“‘If it were anyone else’,” Fushimi repeats, fully satisfied with the way it feels on his tongue. “Is that so?”

“Are you just repeating everything today?!” Yata quips.

“Because I’m special, right?”

“T-That’s –” Pointing his finger at Fushimi, Yata’s face goes even more red. “That’s none of your business!”

“Mm, I think not.” Taking a step closer, Fushimi relishes in the fact that Yata doesn’t move away. “Since it concerns me, after all.”

“Ugh, you’re the worst!” Yata whines. “Just because you’re the only one, you think -”

Raising his eyebrows, a smile pulls at Fushimi’s lips, “Oh?”

Pouting, Yata’s face goes even more red. “Ahhh! Just forget it! You’re enjoying this way too much!” Letting go of Fushimi’s wrist, Yata takes out another photo from the envelope and shoves it towards Fushimi. “H-Here, take this! It’s a memory so, y-you need one too!”

With his fun stopping short, Fushimi peers at the photo with a frown on his face. He still felt like an idiot looking at himself, but the sour feelings towards it might’ve been fading, just slightly. As his eyes rove over to Yata’s smiling face though, his heart begins to flutter once more.

Maybe the photo wasn’t so bad, in the end.

\--

With one ride, came another, and another. It wasn’t so bad at first, but Fushimi was beginning to feel overwhelmed – and nauseous – with all the action. He was able to tolerate it the second time, but as they got off the third roller coaster, a break was definitely necessary.

"That was so awesome!" Yata cheers, rushing back into the park.

  _How does he still have so much energy?_ Fushimi could barely keep up, his legs dragging beneath him. He really couldn't understand where he got all that enthusiasm from.

Plopping onto a nearby bench, Fushimi tries to catch his breath. The loops on that ride had blown away all the self-preparation he did before getting on it and he was suffering the consequences now. Never again would he underestimate how intense these rides could get. Fushimi was starting to think that Yata had been easing him into it with the first couple rides, considering how tame they were in the beginning. _I'm not sure how much more I can take._ He didn't mind the more relaxing rides so much, but ones like the last one... there was no way he could put up with that all day.

Sitting down beside him, Yata stretches in content. It takes a few moments of silence before he realizes something is up, his brows furrowing in concern. "Hey, Saru... You're not looking too good. Are you okay?"

Closing his eyes, Fushimi tries to focus on the sensations of the solid bench and ground beneath him. He had been off the ride for a good minute and yet he still felt like he was going in circles. "I'm fine," he manages after a few seconds. He didn't want to push himself in case something other than words came out, but he didn’t want to worry Yata too much. "Just feeling a little sick."

"Ah, shit. Really?" Hearing Yata’s voice grow nearer, Fushimi opens his eyes to find Yata moving towards him. He holds his breath immediately as he takes in their close proximity, his body tensing. Yata was examining Fushimi's face, worry taking over his features.

As Yata comes even closer, Fushimi’s eyes grow wide when he feels Yata’s breath on his face. They were so close that alarm begins to wash over him, a thought coming to mind. No way... Could Yata be...? He couldn't think of any other reason for them to be so close, but as the idea seeps into him. Fushimi’s breath hitches. He wouldn't have been entirely against it, if Yata wanted to... to...

Closing his eyes in anticipation, Fushimi feels the warm press of soft skin against his... forehead. _Hah?_ Parting his lids hesitantly, Fushimi is met with the sight of Yata right in his face as he presses their foreheads together. His eyes were shut, Yata’s long lashes out on display for Fushimi to take in. He could smell the comforting scent he’d learn to associate with Yata, the smell of his shampoo being strong enough that he didn’t find it to be too intense, it was surprisingly pleasant, instead. Still, Yata’s forehead wasn’t exactly the sensation he was hoping to feel, disappointment working through him.

Letting a breath out through his nose, Fushimi scolds himself. What was he doing expecting something like that? He could feel his entire being warm up with his shamelessness. Knowing his feelings for Yata now didn’t mean he could just go wishing for –

_Wait._

Suddenly, the pieces fall together. This feeling, craving was nothing new, the sensation of it being far too familiar. It wasn't just now that he was feeling this urge to make things progress further somehow, but that night on Valentine's day as well as night before... He was unable to place what it was he was waiting for all those times, but the answer was now presenting itself to him written in bold, red letters at the forefront of his mind.

All this time, that wanton feeling was him wanting to kiss Yata. The dissatisfaction from all the past interruptions suddenly made sense.

Feeling himself heat up, Fushimi wants to run off and hide somewhere. He may not have known much about crushes, but wanting to kiss the person you liked was natural, wasn’t it? It was still embarrassing as hell regardless of it being normal or not, Fushimi’s face burning. All of it was dawning on him, that fact that he’d been hoping for a kiss for far longer than he could ever know only meaning he’d been crushing on Yata for just as long.

 _How long have I felt like this?_ How he was unable to pick up on such strong feelings until now was beyond him. They were pestering him like crazy now though, the prospect of kissing the man in front of him echoing in his head. _Misaki... To kiss Misaki..._ It only made the desire grow even stronger the more he contemplates it.

What would Yata's lips feel like on his? Had Yata even kissed anyone before? It would be Fushimi’s first time, so it was sure to be awkward regardless, but as he thinks about Yata’s warmth and how gentle he could be despite his strength, Fushimi begins to melt.

As Yata shuffles a little, Fushimi snaps back to the reality of Yata’s hair tickling his skin. Yata was brushing Fushimi’s bangs back in a soft motion, giving him better access to his skin. Fushimi was frozen in place, unable to do anything else but watch in shock and awe. _He’s so close..._

Things may have taken a different turn than he was expecting, but Fushimi had to admit this was still pleasant. Yata’s hands and forehead were hot, his body heat warming Fushimi's chilled skin. Without conscious thought, Fushimi begins to lean into Yata’s touch, the sensation helping him feel better slightly. It was like Yata was recharging him, his body soaking in Yata’s warmth and energy.

Pulling back all too soon, Yata locks their gazes as he hums in thought, “Doesn’t feel like you got a fever, though.”

"Not like that, idiot.” Shaking his head slightly, Fushimi sighs, “Motion sickness."

"Oh. Right.” As they stare at each other, Yata seems to get the meaning behind those words, “Eh? M-Motion sick? I-I thought you meant –" Realizing what he’d just done, Yata’s face goes pink as pulls away fully this time, the space between them returning to normal. Sulking, Fushimi watches as Yata moves away. He didn’t have to act so averse to it... Was touching him really that bad?

"Wait, the fuck?!" Getting an earful of Yata's booming voice, Fushimi frowns at his overreaction. "You get sick on rides? Why didn't you say anything!"

Fushimi offers a light glare at Yata's questioning. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with this, not when he had been thoroughly enjoying himself just moments before, his skin missing Yata’s warmth. He still didn't feel well though, so he wasn't putting up as much of an attitude as he usually did, but the feeling was still there. "You said you wanted to ride it, didn't you?"

"W-Well, yeah! But that doesn't mean you have to push yourself!"

"Tsk."

He had come here to spend time with Yata, what good would sitting around while he went on rides by himself do? Either way, it didn't matter anymore. Going on those rides was his own choice. Closing his eyes again, Fushimi tries to relax a bit more in an attempt to quell the queasiness he was feeling. He didn’t feel well enough to talk too much, so he leaves the topic at that.

Noting the lack of response, Yata lets out a small sigh. Feeling the bench they were on shift, Fushimi gets the impression that Yata is putting more distance between them when he feels the sudden sensation of his bangs being brushed back again instead. His heart jump starts and his eyes shoot open at that, but before he has a chance to say anything Yata's speaks in a low voice, "Idiot monkey. You didn't have to do that. I don't mind just hanging out with you, y'know..."

Blinking in surprise, Fushimi watches as Yata’s eyes search his. He looked so earnest that it was tugging at his heartstrings. He should've known better. Of course Yata wouldn't hold something like that against him. That's just how he was – caring and understanding.

"Mm," is all Fushimi offers, feeling content once more as Yata continues to play with his bangs. It was comforting, despite never having anyone else toy with his hair before. Yata was the first to do so, but the fact that it was Yata touching him was probably why it was so enjoyable. “Feels good,” Fushimi mumbles, “You’re warm, Misaki.”

“Ah, are you cold?”

Nodding, Fushimi appreciates the sensation a bit more before a sudden gasp leaves his lips. He didn't know why, but Yata was cupping his cheeks gently, his face heating up in response to the gesture, “Misaki, what are you –” The grin he earns in return traps the rest of his words in his throat.

“You’re cold, right? I don’t have a scarf or anything to give you, but I’ve always been told I’m like a natural heater!”

It was so like Yata to justify doing something like this with such a simple reason. _Idiot..._ It was things like this that always caught him off guard. Even more so when he'd always come to realizing he'd like the spontaneous acts Yata would pull.

“That makes sense.” Huffing a light laugh, Fushimi bites back a smile, “Considering you’re always wearing shorts despite how cold it is.”

“Hey, what’s so funny about that?!”

“No reason.”

“Che, whatever you say.” Pursing his lips, Yata lets Fushimi relax for a minute before speaking up, “Your face really is cold, though...” Moving closer again, Yata inspects his face. “Heh, I’m almost shocked your lips aren’t blue yet.”

As they gaze at each other again, Fushimi feels his earlier hope gradually building up again. It was next to impossible to ignore the butterflies that were filling up inside him. He really couldn’t help his thoughts from taking that direction when Yata was so close to him, especially not when _lips_ were the topic of conversation.

Before he even has a chance to realize what he's saying, the words to fall from his lips, “And... what would you do if they were, Misaki?”

“Eh?” He could feel the hands on his face twitch a little at that, giving Fushimi the impression that maybe, just maybe, Yata was understanding what he was getting at. It was both mortifying and promising, awaiting Yata’s response. The alarm bells in his head were ringing for him to shut his mouth, but it was like he couldn't stop himself anymore.

“If my lips were that cold... what would you do?” He really didn’t know what he was thinking saying such things. He must’ve been delirious from all those rides jumbling his brain.

Gulping, Yata opens his mouth as if to say something before promptly shutting it. He could feel Yata’s heartbeat through his fingertips, the pace matching his own. _Maybe, finally.._. Eyes going half-mast, Yata whispers Fushimi’s name, low and unhurried. Allowing his own eyes to do the same, Fushimi awaits for the feeling he’d been craving just minutes before, Yata inching closer. “Saruhiko...”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *evil laughter* Apologizing w a long ass chap and then leaving it on a cliffhanger huhu. Is that too cruel? Well either way I for one find it entertaining >:))) I hope you all don't mind the wait and enjoyed the read!! :3c
> 
> Comments are appreciated!!! ehe


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